Development of Practices for Ecosystem-based Fishery
Management in the United States: the North Pacific
CAPITOL HILL OCEANS WEEKJUNE 9-10, 2004
David L. FluhartySchool of Marine AffairsUniversity of Washington
FOCUS ON FISHERIES AND ECOSYSTEMS
1996 SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES ACT MANDATES ECOSYSTEM PRINCIPLES ADVISORY PANEL – REPORT TO CONGRESS 1999
1999-2004 DRAFT BILLS FOR MSFCMA REAUTHORIZATION CALL FOR ECOSYSTEM-BASED MANAGEMENT APPROACHES
2004. MANAGING OUR NATION’S FISHERIES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. D. Witherell, Ed. Proceedings of a Conference Washington. D.C. Nov. 13-15, 2003.
2004. CHESAPEAKE BAY FISHERIES ECOSYSTEM PLAN
ECOSYSTEM-BASED ECOSYSTEM-BASED FISHERY MANAGEMENTFISHERY MANAGEMENT
“ “USING WHAT YOU KNOW USING WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE ECOSYSTEM ABOUT THE ECOSYSTEM TO MANAGE FISHERIES”TO MANAGE FISHERIES”
ECOSYSTEM-BASED FISHERY MANAGEMENT
IS NOT
ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT
PREREQUISITES OF ECOSYSTEM-BASED MGT.
• EFFECTIVE CONTROL OF FISHERIES BY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
• ABILITY TO ENFORCE REGULATIONS
• ABILITY TO MONITOR HARVESTS -INCLUDING BYCATCH
• ABILITY TO CONTROL CAPACITY TO FISH
U.S. OCEAN COMMISSION REPORT 2004
“REFINE THE EXISTING FISHERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM…. TO STRENGTHEN THE USE OF SCIENCE AND TO MOVE TOWARD A MORE ECOSYSTEM-BASED MANAGEMENT APPROACH.”
Example: Alaska GroundfishExample: Alaska Groundfish
ALASKA REGION ASSESSMENT
Witherell, D., C. Pautzke and D. Fluharty. 2000. An ecosystem-based approach for Alaska groundfish fisheries. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 57:771-777.
Pat Livingston, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, WA
Alaska Groundfish Programmatic SEIS
ECOSYSTEM APPROACHES ALASKA “What’s Different?”
• INTEGRATION OF SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT FOR CONSERVATION AND ALLOCATION/ SCIENCE-BASED MGT.
• CAP ON TOTAL HARVESTS• CONSERVATIVE CATCH LIMITS• BYCATCH ACCOUNTING• INDUSTRY FUNDED OBSERVER PROGRAM• FISHERY MARINE PROTECTED AREAS• BAN ON FORAGE FISH HARVEST
C lo sed A rea s
C a tchL ev e ls
E ffo rt
P h y sica l F o rc in g
M a n a g em en t
S ta tu s
Ecosystem Measures and InfluencesEcosystem Measures and Influences
Gear
INTEGRATION OF SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT
• SCIENTIFIC AND STATISTICAL COMMITTEE PERFORMS PEER REVIEW – COUNCIL ACCEPTS ADVICE
• 1995 ECOSYSTEM CHAPTER IN ANNUAL STOCK ASSESSMENT FISHERY EVALUATION REPORTS
• 1996 ECOSYSTEM COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED
ECOSYSTEM STATUS: Physical Environment and Links to Production
Pacific Decadal Oscillation
-4.00
-3.00
-2.00
-1.00
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
19
00
19
05
19
10
19
15
19
20
19
25
19
30
19
35
19
40
19
45
19
50
19
55
19
60
19
65
19
70
19
75
19
80
19
85
19
90
19
95
20
00
Year
Ind
ex
PDO
5-month running mean
15-month running mean
CONSERVATIVE CATCH LIMITS AND BYCATCH ACCOUNTING
81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 '01 '03
0
5
10
15
20
25
Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands GroundfishHarvest Limits 1981-2003
BiomassABC
TAC
Alaskan Groundfish Stock Status 2002
B2001/BMSY
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.05.0
F20
01/F
MS
Y
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
GA P-CodEBSP-Cod
GA Sable
GAPOP
AI POPEBS Pol
GA ThornyEBS YF Sole
GA Pol
EBSTurbot
EBS ArrowEBS F SoleGA Arrow
EBSO Flats
AMack EBS
R Sole
no overfishingnot overfished
overover
overfishingnot overfished
noover
FMSY
1/2 BMSY
FISHERY MANAGEMENT MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
• APPROXIMATELY 25% OF CONTINENTAL SHELF IN BERING SEA CLOSED TO TRAWLING
• APPROXIMATELY 60,000 SQ.N.MI.
Steller Sea Lion Protection Measures
• 1990, Sea lions listed as Threatened-closures around haulouts and rookeries
• Seasonal and spatial apportionment of pollock, cod, and mackerel from 1991
• Prohibition on forage fish harvest 1997 --
• Additional Area/fishery closures in 2001
IMPLEMENTATION - EFH
• FULL LIFE-CYCLE APPROACH• IDENTIFY EFH [100 % OF AREA]• MEASURES MUST MEET STANDARD TO
MINIMIZE TO EXTENT PRACTICABLE EFFECTS OF FISHING ON HABITAT [MITIGATE EFFECTS THAT ARE MORE THAN SIGNIFICANT/ NOT MORE THAN TEMPORARY]
IMPLEMENTATION - NEPA
STELLER SEA LION EIS 2002 [AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE]
ALASKA GROUNDFISH PSEIS 20049 VOLUMES + EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7000+ PAGES WEIGHT 41.5 LBS. 19 KG
ECOSYSTEM –BASED MGT. POLICY ADVICE
• CHANGE BURDEN OF PROOF
• APPLY PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE
• PURCHASE “INSURANCE”
• LEARN FROM MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE
• USE INCENTIVES TO ACHIEVE GOALS
• PROMOTE FAIRNESS AND EQUITY
EXPECTATIONS
• FISHERIES WILL CHANGE UNDER ECOSYSTEM-BASED MGT.
• FISHERIES WILL BE MANAGED FOR ABUNDANCE NOT SCARCITY, I.E., LOWER HARVEST RATE FROM HIGHER BIOMASS
• LESS FISHING CAPACITY AND EMPLOYMENT BUT HIGHER INCOME AND USE OF TECHNOLOGY
EXPECTATIONS [CONT.]
• PRACTICES WITH HIGH HABITAT IMPACTS REPLACED BY ALTERNATE FISHING TECHNIQUES
• GREATER USE OF SPATIALLY EXPLICIT MANAGEMENT MEASURES
• RESTRICTIONS ON FISHERIES TO ACCOMPLISH OTHER GOALS, E.G., BIODIVERSITY PROTECTION
ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACHES ARE BEING
DEVELOPED
NOAA FISHERIES TECHNICAL GUIDELINES 2004
PILOT PROJECTS FUNDED 2004+
NEW ENGLAND
MID ATLANTIC
SOUTH ATLANTIC
GULF OF MEXICOMICHAEL SISSENWINE. NOAA FISHERIES, DIRECTOR OF SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMS
AND CHIEF SCIENCE ADVISOR