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Ecosystem goals can reinvigorate fisheries management, help dispute resolution and encourage public support
Author(s) -
Pitcher Tony J
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
fish and fisheries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.747
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1467-2979
pISSN - 1467-2960
DOI - 10.1046/j.1467-2979.2000.00004.x
Subject(s) - ecosystem , fisheries management , business , environmental resource management , process (computing) , politics , environmental planning , ecosystem approach , fisheries law , fishery , natural resource economics , political science , ecology , environmental science , economics , computer science , biology , fishing , law , operating system
This paper argues that if rebuilding of ecosystems is adopted as the goal for fisheries management, recent disputes over political interference in the scientific process would be reduced in severity through a clarification of objectives and procedures. The use of an ecosystem approach enables alternative end states of current harvesting policy to be evaluated more objectively. Moreover, support from the general public for fisheries policy is likely to be greater when they are given a clear and important role to play as sentinels reporting upon the status of a wide range of organisms in aquatic ecosystems.