Science requirements for implementing EBM

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Science requirements for implementing EBM

• Rob Stephenson
• DFO, St. Andrews Biological Station

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St. Andrews Biological Station
La Station biologique de St. Andrews
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Ecosystem Based Management

• EBM is the management of human activities to
  ensure that marine ecosystems, their structure
  (e.g. biological diversity), function (e.g.
  productivity) and overall environmental quality
  (e.g. water and habitat quality) are not
  compromised and are maintained at appropriate
  temporal and spatial scales.
• DFO 2005 Fs23-494-2006E

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Challenge of Science 1

• Choose between the two views of science required
  for an ecosystem-based approach
• Describe, study and understand the ecosystem
• Modify science in support of management to
  include a broader suite of ecosystem
  considerations
• Product a practical approach to defining the
  science required for an Ecosystem-Based Approach

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Science in support of management decisions
Ecoregion (with nested plans)
Managed activities
Fisheries Aquaculture Energy Transport
Conservation
- Productivity
- Biodiversity
- Habitat
Economic
Social
Objectives/strategies
Audit of cumulative performance
Cumulative impacts across activities
Plans with diverse objectives
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Challenge of Science 2

• Better articulation of conservation objectives
  (and strategies)
• Together with relevant performance indicators and
  reference points
• Common (if possible) across all activities
• Product Consensus on what needs to be monitored

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Changes in Conservation Objectives

• Productivity
• Primary Productivity
• Community Productivity
• Population Productivity
• Biodiversity
• Species Diversity
• Population Diversity
• Habitat

• Population Productivity
• Population Diversity

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Fisheries strategies/indicators
Gavaris et al 2005
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Challenge of Science 2b

• Resolve the issue of contextual indicators
• If all conservation objectives are articulated,
  and if there are performance indicators for
  eachare there any additional properties of the
  ecosystem or overall indicators of ecosystem
  health (or change) that need to be monitored?
• How would these be used in management?

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Science Decision Support
Indicator

• Decision on suitable reference point
• How the system dynamics influence the way we
  manage

reference
state
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Challenge of Science 3

• Develop methods of determining cumulative effects
• Consider the impacts of all fisheries, plus
  aquaculture, plus other managed activities
  against conservation objectives
• Product Ability to audit the cumulative
  performance of the activities of an area against
  common conservation objectives

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Plan Evaluation
Sum
For a biogeographic region
From Gavaris et al 2005
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Challenge of Science 4

• Begin acquiring additional information essential
  for Ecosystem-based management
• EBM requires more performance indicators
• Not collecting relevant information (e.g.
  bycatch, area trawled)
• Product Modified surveys and monitoring systems
• Hard to add to monitoring systems during fiscal
  restraint

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Enhanced Fishery Monitoring
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Challenge of Science 5

• Develop methods of integrating conservation with
  social and economic objectives
• Decisions are based on tradeoff among objectives
• Are conservation objectives simply constraints?
• Product Decision support systems for integrated
  management and EBA
• Evaluation of overall performance of activity
  against multiple objectives

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Our experience with this approach

• Offers a framework for prioritization of science
• Of direct and immediate relevance to management

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Our experience with this approach

• Offers a framework for prioritization of science
• Of direct and immediate relevance to management
• Places all managed activities on the same page
• Makes EBM operational

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• Following slides are for reference

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Indicators

• Performance indicator
• Pertinent to strategy
• Measure response to managed activity
• Reference points are guideposts

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What isEcosystem Based Management?

• Manage human activities to
• Control impact on ecosystem
• Recognize ecosystem influence on how we conduct
  activity