The weakening role of science in the management of groundfish off the east coast of Canada

Shelton, P. A. 2007. The weakening role of science in the management of groundfish off the east coast of Canada. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64: 723–729. The link between science and decision-making for groundfish fisheries off Canada's east coast has weakened during the past two decades. The demand for a large degree of flexibility in the decision-making process by both the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization, as well as the perceived low credibility of scientific knowledge, has resulted in an underutilization of science capacity to provide risk-based assessments and to evaluate management strategies for robustness to uncertainty and compliance with the precautionary approach. The transition from science-based to ad hoc fisheries management is described, and the potential impact of two new approaches, ecosystem-based fisheries management and shared stewardship, is considered.