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How to provide scientific advice for ecosystem‐based management now
Author(s) -
Trenkel Verena M
Publication year - 2018
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 - 10.1111/faf.12263
Subject(s) - productivity , ecosystem , marine ecosystem , environmental resource management , fisheries management , business , ecosystem based management , fishery , environmental science , ecology , economics , fishing , biology , macroeconomics
In this paper, I argue that we have at hand what is needed to provide scientific advice for ecosystem‐based management of small pelagics and other species groups now. The ingredients for this advice are (i) large marine ecosystems as spatial management units; (ii) maintaining ecosystem productivity and exploiting at multispecies maximum yield as overarching management objectives; (iii) assessment of ecosystems by evaluating changes in primary productivity; (iv) an operational management procedure in which single‐species catch proposals are adjusted to ecosystem productivity using a set of control rules. Inspection of historic landings for small pelagics and other small species in the Northeast Atlantic ( ICES area) reveals that most likely fisheries exploitation does not, and never did, exceed system productivity in most LME s and is therefore overall sustainable, although not necessarily for individual stocks.