ecosystem management workshops michael jepson, ph.d. facilitator
TRANSCRIPT
Ecosystem Management Workshops
Michael Jepson, Ph.D.
Facilitator
Workshop Overview
• Review of Ecosystems Management Approach
• Gulf Council Ecosystem Plan Approach
• Discussion of Stakeholder Concerns
• Review Stakeholder Comments and Consensus
Why Ecosystems Management?
• Over half of the U.S. population lives on the coast
• Human activities on land, along the coast and in the ocean are affecting marine ecosystems by – altering marine food web
– changing the climate
– damaging habitat
– eroding coastlines
– introducing invasive species
– and polluting coastal waters
• NOAA has reorganized to better position itself to work under an ecosystem approach.
• In FY04, Congress allocated $2 million for NOAA-Fisheries to conduct ecosystem management pilot projects in four regions:– New England
– Mid-Atlantic
– South Atlantic
– Gulf of Mexico
Why Ecosystems Management?
Development of the Generic Essential Fish Habitat Amendment (1998)
• Linkages between different habitats and life cycles
• Relationships between terrestrial and marine habitats
• Species interactions
What is the definition of an ecosystem approach to management?
• NOAA defines an ecosystem approach to management as one that is:– Adaptive– Regionally directed– Takes account of ecosystem knowledge– Takes account of uncertainty– Considers multiple external influences– Strives to balance diverse societal objectives
What is an Ecosystem
• An ecosystem is a geographically specified system of organisms (including humans), the environment, and the processes that control its dynamics.
– Humans are an integral part of marine and terrestrial ecosystems
– Ecosystems come in many sizes, often with smaller systems embedded within larger ones.
What is different?
• Ecosystem approach to management considers the cumulative impacts of different sectors and differs from current approaches that usually focus on a single species, sector, activity or concern
• Present species oriented management incorporates many aspects of ecosystem management, but not always in the same context
• Ecosystems approach to management will not replace current management, but will supplement and enhance it
Issues of Importance to the Gulf
• Bycatch or Fishery Interactions– Bycatch and fishery interactions including mortalities of non-target
species when multiple fisheries encounter the same species.
• Indirect Effects of Harvesting – Indirect effects of harvesting through trophic interactions, and indirect
effects through habitat-alteration, e.g. by fishing gear.
• Interactions between Biological, Physical and Human Components of Ecosystems – Trends in environmental variables (e.g. temperature, other
oceanographic attributes) may result in long-term changes of ecosystems
Fishery Issues in the Gulf
• Shrimp trawls Red Snapper Vermilion Snapper
• LNG Terminals Estuarine dependent species
• Shallow-water grouper Deep-water grouper
• Offshore Aquaculture
Fishery Issues in the Gulf
Environmental Events in the Gulf
• Tropical storm/Hurricane effects
• Red tide effects
• Hypoxic (Dead) Zone effects
Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Zone
Gulf Council Ecosystem Plan Approach
• Step 1: Collect information– Task 1: Public Meetings with Stakeholder Groups– Task 2: Attitudes/Values Survey– Task 3: Identification of Technical Needs and
Inventory of Existing Information– Task 4: Synthesis of Public Input on Ecosystem
Goals and Objectives • Step 2: Develop Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP)• Step 3: Modify Species Oriented Approach to
incorporate the components of the FEP
Topic Areas for Workshops
• (1) Adequacy of current approaches for addressing ecosystem considerations
• (2) Nature of ecosystem-based management and the goals to be achieved in addressing ecosystem issues
• (3) Nature of the public decision making processes for addressing management tradeoffs, consistent with identified goals
• (4) Mechanisms for considering activities outside the Gulf Council’s purview
• (5) Boundaries of sub-regional ecosystems within the Gulf of Mexico
• (6) Types of management measures that would be incorporated into ecosystem approaches for fishery management, consistent with the identified goals
• (7) Specific regional issues that need to be addressed in a FEP
• (8) Techniques for determining success of ecosystem-based management
• (9) Other issues considered important to the stakeholders in any particular region.
Topic Areas for Workshops