A perspective on the use of spatialized indicators for ecosystem-based fishery management through spatial zoning

Babcock, E. A., Pikitch, E. K., McAllister, M. K., Apostolaki, P., and Santora, C. 2005.A perspective on the use of spatialized indicators for ecosystem-based shery managementthrough spatial zoning. e ICES Journal of Marine Science, 62: 469e476.Although much work has been done developing system-level indicators for ecosystem-based shery management (EBFM), few of those proposed include a spatial component.Even in single-species management, time and area closures have been applied withouta clear understanding of what their eect might be on identifying overshing thresholds andother reference points. For EBFM, spatial zoning of the marine environment, including no-take marine reserves and areas where destructive shing gears are prohibited, may becomea prime management tool. Therefore, indicators of the eectiveness of spatial managementwill be required, along with an understanding of how indicators related to other objectiveswill be inuenced. We review single-species models that have been used to model spatialzoning, including potential bias in assessment and current work on eort reallocation afterarea closure, as well as available ecosystem-based models and metrics and how they mightaccount for spatial management. Metrics that can be derived from explicitly spatialapproaches such as GIS-based ecosystem and shery evaluations are also discussed.