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THE CON C EPT

EBM aims to achieve sustainability in

exploiting na tural res ources . Tw o ma in

themes run through the c oncept: the

effect of the environment on the

reso urce, and conversely, the effect

of resource exploitation on the

environme nt. EB M is a highly

integrated approach that

encom pas ses all the co mplexities

of ecosystem dynamics, the social

and ec onomic needs of human

communities, and the maintenance

of diverse, functioning and healthy

ecosys tems. S cientists have

co nstructed a set o f principles for

this approach.

Imp lem ent ing EBM in m ar ine c apturefisheries requires taking careful account

o f the cond it ion o f ec osystems that may

affect f ish stoc ks an d their produc tivity. I t

also requ ires taking eq ual ly c areful

account of the ways f ishing activi t ies may

af fect m ar ine ec osystems.

M ar ine eco systems are very com plex,

our knowledge o f them lim i ted, and the

ways in which f isheries affect them is

poo r ly unders tood, so the EBM

approach to m anaging f isher ies ac cep tsthat decisions wi l l often be made in a

cl imate of uncertainty. However,

uncer ta in ty shou ld never be an excuse

for inact ion. M anagem ent de c is ions are

best made using mul t iple l ines of

ev idenc e and a p recaut ionary approach:

when in doub t , err on the s ide o f

conservation.

In a f ishery managed under EBM

principles, the burden of proof for

dem onstra ting there are no major

unacc eptab le imp acts f rom f ish ing rests

wi th the f ishery. So m e fisheries alreadyuse p er formanc e eva luat ion p rocedures

that measure the p opula t ions and

productivi ty of f ish stocks, for example,

to d etermine future Total Al low able

Catches of target f ish species. Evaluating

the success of a f ishery in meeting EBM

principles w i ll neces sarily be m ore

com plex, because in add it ion to f ish

stocks, a range o f hab i ta t and sp ec ies

ind icators need to be used to d etermine

the hea lth o f the ecos ystem. Ho wever,

the general evaluation methods and

approach o f an EBM system w ill befami l iar to many f ishery managers,

including the fami l iar problems of data

weakness and mo del uncer ta in ty.

Overa ll, the EBM con cep t o f fers the best

prospect of achieving f isheries that

appropriately recognise the ecological

issues and provide for the conservation

of biodiversity.

The Principles of EBMEcosys tem -b ased m anagem en t has

objectives and targets that:

Focus on maintaining the natural

s t ructure and funct ion o f eco systems

and their produc tivity

Inco rporate hum an use and va lues o f

ecosystems in managing the resource

Recog nize that ecosystems are

dynam ic and c onstant ly changing

Are based on a shared vision of al lstakeholders

Are based on s c ient if ic know ledge ,

adapted by continual learning and

moni toring.

1

Policy Proposals and Operational Guidance for Ecosystem-Based

Management of Marine Capture Fisheries

by Trevor Ward, Diane Tarte, Eddie Hegerl and Katherine Short; in press.

Over the past 5 0 years, most efforts to regulate fishing and conserve our oceans and seas have had only

limited success in preventing the on-going problems of over-fishing, degradation of the marine

environment, and irreversible loss of marine biodiversity. Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) of the

oceans is an approach that is likely to succeed where many other initiatives have failed because of its

focus on managing human issues and impacts in order to achieve the maintenance of biodiversity. Fishing

is an important use of the worlds oceans, but the concept of EBM for marine capture fisheries is not clear

or fully operational. WWF has prepared a Policy Paper 1 to encourage and inform global debate. The Paper

is designed to develop the concept into a workable approach for implementation in individual fisheries in a

manner that is consistent with integrating global and regional policy initiatives into national act ivities.

Ecosystem-BasedM anagement for M arine

Capture Fisheries

EndangeredSeas

Programme

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S U C C E S S F U LECOSYST EM-BASEDM ANAG EMENT INFISHERIESMany existing global, regional,

nat iona l and fishe ry-spe cific initia tivesattempt to improve the way

ecosystems are considered within

fishery management systems.

However, they are typically

uncoordinated and do not necessarily

work in harmony with initiatives

designed, for example, to improve the

ma nag ement o f fish s toc ks. Taking

into account this range of initiatives,

WWF has identified six elements

req uired for EBM in fisheries to be

successful.

1. Operate within a policy framework

designed to incorporate EBM

principles: Ecosys tem -based

manage me nt can on ly operate e f fec t i ve ly

where there is a supportive framework of

appropr iate law and pract ices that

govern and control human activi t ies.

The best know n examp le is be ing

implemented in the Antarctic, where the

Convention on Conservation of Antarctic

Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) has

been p ioneer ing an ecosystem approach

to f isheries management since i t entered

in to force in 198 2. Agreem ent on i ts

regulations, cal led Conservation

Measures, i s reached by consensus o fthe 24 C om m iss ion M em b er S ta tes ,

which the States are then obl iged to

implement.

Several nations (such as Canada and

Australia) are proc eed ing wi th the

deve lopmen t and implementat ion o fpo l ic ies d esigned to fac il itate integrated

p lann ing and m anagem ent o f the ir

oceans. Austral ias Oceans Pol icy wi l l be

implemented primari ly through a regional

mar ine p lann ing p rocess b ased on large

marine ecosystems, which wi l l integrate

com me rc ia l in terests and con servation

requirements. Addi t ional provisions that

address EBM for f isheries include a

com prehens ive pro tected area system

and legislative-b ased strategic

assessments of f isheries to determine

their sus tainabil ity.

2. Recognise economic, social and

cultura l interests : The interests o f al l

stakeholders in the f ishery and theeco systems w here the f ishery operate

need to b e recognised as fac tors that

may a f fec t resource management

objectives, targets, strategies and

activit ies. This wi ll involve d evelopm ent o f

a process for engagement o f the

stakeho lders, and identi fication of thei r

ob ject ives for mar ine ec osystems and

marine f isheries. These may include

access to f isheries, protection of

identi f ied important species and habi tats,and imp leme nt ing a p recaut ionary

approach . A f ter agreement is reached on

su i tab le ob ject i ves, s pec if ic managem ent

pol ic ies or activ i t ies can be developed.

These objectives and their

commensurate controls and activi t ies are

documented wi thin a f isheries

m anagem en t p l an , w h ich b ecom es the

focus for s takeholder engagem ent.

3. Reco gnise the risk of the impac ts

of resource exploitation o n ec ologica l

values: Fish ing takes p lace over m ost o f

the worlds oceans (only t iny amounts are

protected from al l forms of f ishing), but

nonethe less, w i th c are fu l managem ent

and use of wel l -designed gear, areas that

are f ished may sti l l contr ibute much to

biodiversi ty conservation objectives. By

sett ing speci f ic protection objectives for

eco systems, hab ita ts and spec ies in

f ishing grounds, much of the biodiversi ty

can sti l l be maintained wi thin acceptablel imits provided that fishing is carefully

mo nitored and contro lled.

W W F- C an o n/ M eg G AW LE R

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In addition to the biodiversity in fishinggrounds, areas where no f ishing is

permi t ted (no- take reserves) can m ake a

substantive contr ibution to conservation

of the biodiversi ty provided they are of

suff ic ient size and are wel l respected and

managed. Many f isheries al ready have

bui l t- in protection for sensi t ive stages of

harvested s pec ies, fo r example by

closing fishing activities in certain areas

dur ing spawning seasons. Most mar ine

protected areas have b een estab l ished in

co astal areas, b ut i t is o f vital im po rtance

that nations agree to establ ish new

reserves elsewhere wi thin national

Exc lus ive Eco nom ic Zones and a lso in

the high seas beyond national EEZs,

where pelagic and demersal f ishing and

industr ies suc h as hydrocarbonextraction are now operating.

4. Incorporate a deq uate information

on exploited s pecies: Maintaining fish

stocks, and pro tect ing p opula t ions o f

marine species impacted by f isheries (for

example, cetaceans, bi rds, turt les, and

non-target f ish) can b e ac h ieved b y a

range o f measures in an EBM approach.

Prevention of o verf ishing c an theoretically

be ac h ieved b y the precaut ionaryappl ication of catch levels, quotas, and

harvest (or prop erty) r ights. But for

success, a spectrum of these measures

may have to be appl ied simul taneously,

as exper ience s how s that us ing one

single approach may not be suff ic ient.

The c areful des ign of f ishing strategies in

an EBM system wi l l ensure that thepopulation and genetic diversi ty of

exploi ted species, natural size range, and

geographic distr ibution of the populations

are main ta ined. U s ing an EBM approach,

bo th ecosys tem and soc i o -econom i c

factors w ould be incorpo rated in to

cautious Total Al lowable Catches for

fisheries.

5. Ensure the fishery ma nag ement

system is adeq uate for EBM to be

effective: Establ ishing a soundmanag eme nt p lan, w i th the fu l l

part ic ipation o f all stakeholders, is c entral

to the co ncep t o f EBM for fisher ies . Suc h

a plan would include clear strategies for

implementation, and for moni toring and

evaluation of i ts performance. The

manag eme nt p lan a lso m ust have c lear

linkages to s cientif ic research on priority

areas of uncertainty in the fishery,

including environmental issues.

6. Co nsider externalities that may

affect the reso urce: A range of factors

can affect c rit ical f isheries habi tats. For

Healthy andWel l -ManagedFisheries

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example, sediment, pol lutants, or high

nutrient loading originating from activities

on land can contaminate seagrass beds

and their com m ercially valuable s hel lf ish.

F ish ing grounds may b e c lose to tour is t

areas and ports, or may overlap wi th

offshore oi l and gas f ields or shipping

lanes. In implementing EBM for f isheries,

such external issues must be taken into

accoun t .

IM PLEMEN TING EBMIN A FIS H ERYFor EBM to be effective, the principles

and elements of EBM need to be

translated into actions and control

meas ures that are a pplied within a

fishery. WWF has identified 12

operational components that form

the basis for implementing EBM in a

typica l fishery. Thes e c omp onents

provide detailed guidance for fisheries

manag ers to develop a nd a pply EBM

within the context of their own fishery.

Also , the d etails of intended outco mes

are identified to permit cooperative

implementa tion in c onjunct ion w ith

the co mmunity of s takeholders a nd

partners .

1. identify the

stakeholder

community

3. identify

partners a nd

their spec ific

interests

4. establish

the ecosystem

values

5. determine

the major factors

that could affect

the ecosystem

values

6. conduct an

ecological risk

assessment

7. establish

objectives a nd

targets for specific

elements of

ecosystems8. establish

strategies withinthe fishery for

achieving

targets

9. design

an effective

information

system, including

monitoring

10. establish

research and

information needs

and priorities

11. design

performance

assessment

and review

processes

12. prepare an

education and

training package

for outreach to

fishers and other

stakeholders

EBM AT THE INTER NATIO NAL LEVELMany f isheries operate in coastal areas belonging to two or more nations, or on the

high seas outside national jurisd ict ions. M ost e xist ing international legal fram ew orks

do not e f fec t ive ly supp or t an ecosystem -based approach for fisher ies m anagem ent,

especial ly for the commercial ly valuable resources found in the high seas. Improved

international governance is key to restructuring f isheries and their management to

mee t the dem ands o f EBM , and to add ress such i ssues as c onserv ing m igra tory f ishstocks, and control l ing I l legal , Unreported and Unregulated f ishing. Access

agreements that regulate the exploi tat ion of a nations marine resources by distant

water f ishing f leets also need to incorporate EBM principles to avoid damaging the

l ivel ihoods of coastal f ishing communi t ies.

EndangeredSeas

Programme

2. prepare a

map of the

ecoregions

and habitats

W W F- C an on /H art m ut JU N G IUS

W W F- C an o n/ S us an W EL LS

W W F- C an o n/ An th o ny B . RAT H

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WWFs PROPOSALSFOR AC TIO N

WWF is c ommitted to deve loping

innovative, w orkab le a nd c ost-

effective wa ys to implement EB M,

in close consultation with relevant

stakeholders such as policy and

fishery ma nag ers, s cientists , fishers,

NGOs and donors. WWF has

ident ified nine p ropo sa ls for pursuing

Ecosystem-based Management that

can benefit fisheries:

1. Get the message ac ross : A pol icy

paper des cr ib ing the bas is o f EBM and

how it can b e implemented in m ar ine

capture f isheries is being publ ished for

global distr ibu tion.

2. Develop models for s takeholderengagement: Iden tify best p ractice

models for effective stakeholder

engagement, taken f rom both the

fisheries sector and from other sectors

such as forestry, agricul ture and tourism.

Test the m od els for app l icab ili ty to

regional and international fishery

m anagem en t sys tem s , com m erc ia l

coastal f isheries and smal l -scale

fisheries. Pub l ish and distr ibute to f ishery

managers.

3. Define procedures for good EBM

planning: Work closely wi th a smal l

number of f isheries to design a robust

scienti f ic approach to developing

eco system ob ject ives, ind icators and

targets for integrating EBM into the irmanag eme nt systems, fo l low ing a b as ic

Ecosystem Assessment Procedure ,

custom ised for each f ishery. Doc um ent

and p ub l ish suc cess es and fa ilu res.

4. Undertake an ec ologica l audit of

ma jor g lob a l fishe ries: Invite key

partners such as governments, inter-

governmenta l and non-governmenta l

organisations, scientific institutions,

dono rs and f ishers to des ign and

implement an assessment o f

management systems of major g loba lf isheries in the context of EBM, using a

15-point checkl ist as a start ing posi t ion.

5. P romote the benefits of ma rine

protec ted areas for fisheries: Bring

coastal and offshore f ishery managers,

and o ther s takeholders , in to the process

of designing and implementing a pi lot

ful ly-protected reserve system to provide

demonstrated benefi ts to f isheries.

6. Integrate regional planning and

management: Support , and where

necessary advocate and promote,

integrated regional planning and

m anagem en t p rog ram s , w he the r

government or c om mu nity- in it ia ted, and

encourage the incorporation of EBM

pr inc ip les in to m anagem ent o f co asta l

EEZs and the h igh seas. M oni tor the

imp leme ntat ion o f the O ceans Policy

initiatives within Austral ia, Canada, and

the U ni ted States to identi fy crit icalobs tac les to success .

C S IRO M arin e Re se arc h/ Ka ren G O W LE TT-H O LM ES

C S IRO M arin e Re se arc h/ Ka ren G O W LE TT-H O LM ES

W W F- C an on /M eg G AW LE R

W W F- C an o n/ J rg en FR EU N D

Sur face of a seam ount show ing an unde r ly ing reef mat ri x at100 0 m et res of f Tasmania.

A squat lobster (Gast roptychus sp . ). Many sp ecies of squatlobster li ve on and in the noo ks and crannies of the reef , onmoun tains 10 00 m et res underwater of f southern Tasmania.

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7. Develop a Global Fishery Restructure

Fund: Promote the estab lishm ent o f a

Global Fishery Restructure Fund to

operate in the international domain for

the b enefi t of f isheries and f ishing

communi t ies at al l scales. Entry would be

open to f isheries anywhere, priori t ised by

their level of ecosystem impacts, and

dep endent on the ir agreem ent to

imp lem ent the pr inc ip les and pract iceso f EBM .

8. Engage in cas e studies: Design and

implement case studies of di fferent f ishery

systems in a smal l number of speci f ic

f isher ies , to dem onstra te ho w EBM

m anagem en t sys tem s can b e i m proved ,

o r w he re absen t , how EBM c ou ld m ake a

d i ffe rence. Doc um ent lessons learned

and pub l i sh outcomes.

9. Extend EBM to other secto rs:

Develop an operational model for EBM in

marine tourism, and then for other sectors

as the opportuni ty arises.

For more information, contact:

Resource Conservation ProgrammeWWF AustraliaG P O B ox 528, NSW 2001, Australia

Tel: + 61-2-9281-5515

Fax: + 61-2-9281-1060

Website: w ww.w wf.org.au

Endangered Seas ProgramWWF InternationalAvenue d u Mont-Blanc,

1196 Gland, Switzerland.

Tel: + 41-22-364-9028

Fax: + 41-22-364-0526

Website: w ww.pa nda.o rg/endang eredse as /

Spanish and French versions of this Summary

are also available

Printed on Recycled Paper

Acknowledgements

Written by Simon Cripps, Eddie Hegerl, Katherine Short,

Di Tarte , Trevor Ward a nd Alison Wilso n.

Illustrations Bruce Mahalski.

EndangeredSeas

Programme

designandprintbyP&IPublishing029

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Mar ine Stewardship Coun ci l.Cer t if ied Western Roc k Lob ster.