Science requirements for implementing EBM

Rob Stephenson

DFO, St. Andrews Biological Station

St. Andrews Biological Station

Fisheries and OceansCanada

Pêches et OcéansCanada

St. AndrewsBiological Station

Station biologique de St. Andrews

La Station biologique de St. Andrews

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

Challenge of Science #1

• Choose between the two views of science required for an ecosystem-based approach:

1. Describe, study and understand the ecosystem

2. 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

Science in support of management decisions

Fisheries Aquaculture Energy Transport

Conservation

- Productivity

- Biodiversity

- Habitat

Economic

Social

Managed activities

Obj

ectiv

es/s

trat

egie

s

Pla

ns w

ith d

iver

se o

bjec

tives

Cumulative impacts across activities

Ecoregion (with nested plans)A

udit of cumulative perform

ance

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

Changes in Conservation Objectives

• Productivity– Primary Productivity– Community Productivity– Population Productivity

• Biodiversity– Species Diversity– Population Diversity

• Habitat

– Population Productivity

– Population Diversity

Fisheries – strategies/indicators Strategies ( indicator ) Productivity Population Productivity • Keep fishing mortality moderate - Promote positive biomass change when biomass is low - M anage discarded catch for all harvested species • Allow sufficient spawning biomass to escape exploitation • Target % size/age/sex of capture to avoid wastage • Limit disturbing activity in spawning areas/seasons Primary Productivity • Control alteration of nutrient concentrations affecting primary production at the base

of the food chain by algae Community Productivity • Manage trophic level removals taking into account consumption r equirements of

higher trophic levels • Manage total removals taking into account system production capacity Biodiversity Species Diversity • Control incidental mortality for all non-harvested species • Minimize unintended transmission of invasive speci es Population Diversity • Distribute p opulation component mortality in relation to component biomass Habitat • M anage area disturbed of bottom habitat types • Limit amounts of contaminants, toxins and waste introduced in habitat • Minimize amount of lo st gear • Control noise or light level/frequency

Gavaris et al 2005

Challenge of Science #2b

• Resolve the issue of ‘contextual indicators’– If all conservation objectives are articulated,

and if there are performance indicators for each…are 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?

Science Decision Support

reference

state

Indicator • Decision on suitable reference point– How the system dynamics

influence the way we manage

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

Plan Evaluation Strategies (performance indicator ) Managed Activity Productivity GF HF SF L/CF Primary Productivity • Control alteration of nutrient concentrations affecting primary

production at the base of the food chain by algae

Community Productivity • Manage trophic level removals taking into account consumption requirements of higher tr ophic levels

• Manage total removals taking into account system production capacity Population Productivity • Keep fishing mortality moderate • Allow sufficient spawning biomass to escape exploitation • Promote positive biomass change when b iomass is low • Target % size/age/sex of capture to avoid wastage • Limit disturbing activity in spawning areas/seasons • Manage discarded catch for all harvested species Biodiversity Species Diversity • Control incidental morta lity for all non -harvested species • Minimize change in distribution of invasive species Population Diversity • Distribute population component mortality in relation to component

biomass

Habitat • Manage area disturbed of bottom hab itat types • Limit amounts of contaminants, toxins and waste introduced in

habitat

• Minimize amount of lost gear • Control noise or light level/frequency

SumFor a biogeographic region

From Gavaris et al 2005

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

Enhanced Fishery Monitoring

42° 42°

67° 66°

A

B

C

D

E

66°30' 66°27' 66°24'42°6'

42°9'

42°6'

42°9'

66°30' 66°27' 66°24'

42° 42°

67° 66°

A

B

C

D

E

66°30' 66°27' 66°24'42°6'

42°9'

42°6'

42°9'

66°30' 66°27' 66°24'

Zone A B C D E Total 2002 % of zone area fished footgear 5% 14% 8% <30% <9% bridles/warp 15% 40% 23% <88% <26% doors 0.3% 0.8% 0.5% 1.8% 0.5%

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

Our experience with this approach

• Offers a framework for prioritization of science

• Of direct and immediate relevance to management

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

• Following slides are for reference

Indicators

• Performance indicator– Pertinent to strategy

– Measure response to managed activity

• Reference points are guideposts

reference

state

PerformanceIndicator

What isEcosystem Based Management?

• Manage human activities to:–Control impact on ecosystem

–Recognize ecosystem influence on how we conduct activity