158th Caribbean Fishery Management Council Regular Meeting Developing a U.S. Caribbean Fishery Ecosystem Plan: Providing a Framework for Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management 158th Caribbean Fishery Management Council Regular Meeting December 13-14, 2016

158th Caribbean Fishery Management Council Regular Meeting Developing a U.S. Caribbean Fishery Ecosystem Plan: Providing a Framework for Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management 158th Caribbean Fishery Management Council Regular Meeting December 13-14, 2016

Outline Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management (EBFM) Policy Considering a Fisheries Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Elements of an FEP Conclusions

EBFM Policy NOAA Fisheries rolled out EBFM Policy in November, 2016 Developed an EBFM Roadmap Describes benefits of EBFM Relationship to Living Marine Resource (LMR) management Establishes six guiding principles Roadmap: Calls for increased coordination across all LMR science and management efforts in each region and aims to make sure all the LMRs and their habitats are included.

EBFM Policy What is EBFM? a systematic approach to fisheries management in a geographically specified area that contributes to the resilience and sustainability of the ecosystem recognizes the physical, biological, economic, and social interactions among the affected fishery-related components of the ecosystem, including humans seeks to optimize benefits among a diverse set of societal goods

EBFM Governance Biophysical MSFMCA Climate ESA Food Webs Council/FMP Humans Fisheries Communities Processors Cultural Values Climate Food Webs Habitats Vulnerable Species Modified from Lenfest Ocean: Building Effective Fishery Ecosystem Plans Presentation 11/16/16 Photo: Batista 2011 (NOAA) MSFMCA ESA Council/FMP Tribal International States EBFM These objective is to more fully adopt a systematic, integrated approach based on a solid, continually advancing, and innovative science foundation. Slide from Lenfest Ocean: Building Effective Fishery Ecosystem Plans Presentation 11/16/16

Benefits of EBFM Facilitates trade-offs between different stakeholder priorities, balancing social and ecological needs Provides more information to make management decisions, which should improve our ability to sustainably manage fisheries Contributes to an increased ability to predict likely outcomes of management actions Provides more stability of ecosystem level measures and translates into better regulatory stability and business plans Facilitates trade-offs between different stakeholder priorities, balancing social and ecological needs. Addresses multiple legal mandates simultaneously. Maintains ecosystem goods and services for delivering social, economic and cultural benefits to society. Addresses cumulative impacts. Increases stakeholder participation. Provides more information to make management decisions, which should improve our ability to sustainably manage fisheries. There will be fewer and smaller gaps between what occurs and what we expected to occur, and better understanding of the factors with the most impact on our fisheries. In short, fewer surprises, fewer mistakes. Contributes to an increased ability to predict likely outcomes of management actions. Forecasts pressures and impacts on both single and aggregated components of a marine ecosystem. Provides a better understanding of how ecosystems and their components respond to multiple stressors. Provides more stability of ecosystem level measures and translates into better regulatory stability and business plans. Is cost-effective. Provides a more effective management framework. Is designed to be adaptive.

EBFM Policy Six Guiding Principles 1. Implement Ecosystem-level planning 2. Advance understanding of ecosystem processes 3. Prioritize vulnerabilities and risk to the ecosystem 4. Explore and address trade-offs within the ecosystem 5. Incorporate ecosystem considerations into management advice 6. Maintain resilient ecosystems These objective is to more fully adopt a systematic, integrated approach based on a solid, continually advancing, and innovative science foundation.

EBFM Policy 1. Implement Ecosystem-Level Planning Engagement Strategy Develop a strategy to facilitate participation of partners and stakeholders in the EBFM process Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Policy Planning Document to describe ecosystem objectives and priorities for fishery science and management We need to focus on the Ecosystem-level Planning and the development of the FEP

EBFM Policy Fishery Ecosystem Plan Includes ecosystem-scale information on the structure and function: Physical Biological Chemical Socio-economic Describe relationships between LMRs, human uses of the resource, and activities affecting the LMRs.

FEP within EBFM FEP will guide us to operate at this level We presently operate at this level

FEP Within Management Context FEP serves as an umbrella document Larger scale, but hierarchical: Individual island U.S. Caribbean Caribbean basin/Large Marine Ecosystem Global Ecosystem species descriptions and interactions Species biology Ecosystem Component Species Cumulative effects; Biogeographic information and spatial scales Other

Next Steps Develop strategy to facilitate partner and stakeholder engagement in FEP development process (FEAP?) Identify additional components Council and constituents would like to see included in FEP Present fully fleshed-out DRAFT outline at spring 2017 Council meeting Dynamic document, so the only constant will be change

Questions Further questions or comments: Additional Resources: Bill Arnold, Ph.D, SERO Bill.Arnold@noaa.gov Cynthia Meyer, Ph.D, SERO Cynthia.Meyer@noaa.gov Additional Resources: http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/ecosystems/ebfm/index These objective is to more fully adopt a systematic, integrated approach based on a solid, continually advancing, and innovative science foundation.