Implementing Ecosystem Approaches to Fishery Management: Risk Assessment in the US Mid-Atlantic
Fishery managers worldwide are evaluating methods for incorporating climate, habitat, ecological, social, and economic factors into current operations in order to implement Ecosystem Approaches to Fishery Management (EAFM). While this can seem overwhelming, it is possible to take practical steps tow...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2018.00442/full |
| _version_ | 1819101151514066944 |
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| author | Sarah K. Gaichas Geret S. DePiper Richard J. Seagraves Brandon W. Muffley Mary G. Sabo Lisa L. Colburn Andrew J. Loftus |
| author_facet | Sarah K. Gaichas Geret S. DePiper Richard J. Seagraves Brandon W. Muffley Mary G. Sabo Lisa L. Colburn Andrew J. Loftus |
| author_sort | Sarah K. Gaichas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fishery managers worldwide are evaluating methods for incorporating climate, habitat, ecological, social, and economic factors into current operations in order to implement Ecosystem Approaches to Fishery Management (EAFM). While this can seem overwhelming, it is possible to take practical steps toward EAFM implementation that make use of existing information and provide managers with valuable strategic advice. Here, we describe the process used by the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) to develop an ecosystem-level risk assessment, the initial step proposed in their recently adopted EAFM guidance document. The Council first defined five types of Risk Elements (ecological, economic, social, food production, management) and identified which management objectives aligned with each element. Based on an existing ecosystem status report for the region and other existing sources (including expert opinion), potential ecological, social, economic, and management indicators were identified for each risk element. Finally, low, low-moderate, moderate-high, and high risk criteria were defined for each indicator, and the indicator data were used to score each risk element using the criteria. The ultimate outcome is a ranked risk assessment in order to focus on the highest risk issues for further evaluation and mitigation. The risk assessment highlights certain species and certain management issues as posing higher cumulative risks to meeting Council management objectives when considering a broad range of ecological, social, and economic factors. Tabular color coded summaries of risk assessment results will be used by the Council to prioritize further EAFM analyses as well as research plans over the coming 5 years. As ecosystem reporting and operational EAFM continue to evolve in future years, the Council foresees integrating these efforts so that ecosystem indicators are refined to meet the needs of fishery managers in identifying and managing risks to achieving ecological, social, and economic fishery objectives. Overall, ecosystem indicator-based risk assessment is a method that can be adapted to a wide range of resource management systems and available information, and therefore represents a promising way forward in the implementation of EAFM. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T01:14:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-119e7417b6d34eda9b470d95f8c88f0f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T01:14:07Z |
| publishDate | 2018-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-119e7417b6d34eda9b470d95f8c88f0f2022-12-21T18:43:54ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452018-11-01510.3389/fmars.2018.00442413921Implementing Ecosystem Approaches to Fishery Management: Risk Assessment in the US Mid-AtlanticSarah K. Gaichas0Geret S. DePiper1Richard J. Seagraves2Brandon W. Muffley3Mary G. Sabo4Lisa L. Colburn5Andrew J. Loftus6NOAA NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, MA, United StatesNOAA NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, MA, United StatesMid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Dover, DE, United StatesMid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Dover, DE, United StatesMid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Dover, DE, United StatesNOAA NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Narragansset, RI, United StatesFisheries Consultant, Annapolis, MD, United StatesFishery managers worldwide are evaluating methods for incorporating climate, habitat, ecological, social, and economic factors into current operations in order to implement Ecosystem Approaches to Fishery Management (EAFM). While this can seem overwhelming, it is possible to take practical steps toward EAFM implementation that make use of existing information and provide managers with valuable strategic advice. Here, we describe the process used by the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) to develop an ecosystem-level risk assessment, the initial step proposed in their recently adopted EAFM guidance document. The Council first defined five types of Risk Elements (ecological, economic, social, food production, management) and identified which management objectives aligned with each element. Based on an existing ecosystem status report for the region and other existing sources (including expert opinion), potential ecological, social, economic, and management indicators were identified for each risk element. Finally, low, low-moderate, moderate-high, and high risk criteria were defined for each indicator, and the indicator data were used to score each risk element using the criteria. The ultimate outcome is a ranked risk assessment in order to focus on the highest risk issues for further evaluation and mitigation. The risk assessment highlights certain species and certain management issues as posing higher cumulative risks to meeting Council management objectives when considering a broad range of ecological, social, and economic factors. Tabular color coded summaries of risk assessment results will be used by the Council to prioritize further EAFM analyses as well as research plans over the coming 5 years. As ecosystem reporting and operational EAFM continue to evolve in future years, the Council foresees integrating these efforts so that ecosystem indicators are refined to meet the needs of fishery managers in identifying and managing risks to achieving ecological, social, and economic fishery objectives. Overall, ecosystem indicator-based risk assessment is a method that can be adapted to a wide range of resource management systems and available information, and therefore represents a promising way forward in the implementation of EAFM.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2018.00442/fullecosystem approachnatural resource managementrisk assessmentfisheriesintegrated ecosystem assessmentecosystem indicators |
| spellingShingle | Sarah K. Gaichas Geret S. DePiper Richard J. Seagraves Brandon W. Muffley Mary G. Sabo Lisa L. Colburn Andrew J. Loftus Implementing Ecosystem Approaches to Fishery Management: Risk Assessment in the US Mid-Atlantic Frontiers in Marine Science ecosystem approach natural resource management risk assessment fisheries integrated ecosystem assessment ecosystem indicators |
| title | Implementing Ecosystem Approaches to Fishery Management: Risk Assessment in the US Mid-Atlantic |
| title_full | Implementing Ecosystem Approaches to Fishery Management: Risk Assessment in the US Mid-Atlantic |
| title_fullStr | Implementing Ecosystem Approaches to Fishery Management: Risk Assessment in the US Mid-Atlantic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Implementing Ecosystem Approaches to Fishery Management: Risk Assessment in the US Mid-Atlantic |
| title_short | Implementing Ecosystem Approaches to Fishery Management: Risk Assessment in the US Mid-Atlantic |
| title_sort | implementing ecosystem approaches to fishery management risk assessment in the us mid atlantic |
| topic | ecosystem approach natural resource management risk assessment fisheries integrated ecosystem assessment ecosystem indicators |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2018.00442/full |
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