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Ecosystem Management: Implications for Fisheries Management
Author(s) -
Schramm Harold L.,
Hubert Wayne A.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
fisheries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1548-8446
pISSN - 0363-2415
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8446(1996)021<0006:emiffm>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - fisheries management , ecosystem , fishery , environmental resource management , ecosystem approach , ecosystem based management , ecosystem management , fisheries science , business , geography , ecology , environmental science , fishing , biology
A panel of nine professional fish and wildlife scientists presented their views and exchanged ideas regarding ecosystem management during a symposium held in August 1995 at the American Fisheries Society's annual meeting in Tampa, Florida. The panelists agreed many fisheries resources are declining, and management efforts are not succeeding; natural resource management is increasing in complexity; and a change in management philosophy is needed. The panel agreed that ecosystem management is an evolution of management philosophy that focuses on local and large geographic scales, considers long‐term temporal scales, and preserves biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems when making natural resource management decisions. They noted that the philosophy of ecosystem management considers human values and requires collaboration among government agencies, private property owners, and a wide array of stakeholders when making management decisions. The panel also identified a need for enhanced education and communication regarding ecological processes and issues among professional managers, agencies, and the public. Numerous unanswered questions remain, including the role of state agencies; the definition and measurement of parameters such as ecosystem health, integrity, and sustainability; and ways to blend economic, social, and ecological values in the decision‐making process. The presenters agreed that implementing ecosystem management faces many hurdles but offers an opportunity for long‐term protection and enhancement of sport and commercial fisheries.