1. R. Stephenson et al - MSEAS 2016
Practical steps to integrating economic, social and institutional aspects in fisheries management
R. Stephenson et al - MSEAS 2016

2. Current Decision Making Process - Linear
Industry lobby
Harvesters
Stock assessment
and interest groups
behavior
information
Fisheries
Harvest
Science
Biological
Decision
Limit
Fisheries
Apply
Advice
Makers
Managers
conservation
Decision
Implementation
standards
Lane and I observed (in 1997) that the decision-making approach was linear (no feedback), and that the ecological aspects were peer reviewed but the economic and social aspects were largely ‘external’ to the process
Exogenous conditions
(environmental,
Other considerations
Catch and effort
markets,
information
(economic, social)
social)
Lane and Stephenson 1998 ICES Journal of Marine Science, 55: 1–13 9 8

3. Risk Assessment Risk Management
Industry
Proposed
preferred
approach
Operations
Comanagement
Feasibility
Socio-
economic
Viability
Advice
Management
Alternatives
Advice
Biological
Assessment
Risk
Assessment
Decision
Monitoring
Makers
and
Tracking
Risk
Feedback
Management
We suggested the need for a more circular approach (with feedback) in which advice was more holistic and was presented as advice alternatives
Implementation
Management
Management
Action
Decision
Exogenous conditions
Lane and Stephenson 1998 ICES Journal of Marine Science, 55: 1–13 10 11

4. One of the projects of the CFRN has been investigating candidate ‘common’ objectives for fisheries

5. Framework for comprehensive evaluation

6. …Athens 2015

7. Practical integration
of the four pillars…

8. Ashleen Benson Kate Brooks Tony Charles Poul Degnbol Cathy Dichmont Marloes Kraan Sean Pascoe Stacey Paul Melanie Wiber

9. Impediments to integration?
Relative lack of specific social, economic and institutional objectives
Lack of process (framework, governance) for routine integration
Assessment and management (institutional) bias towards biological aspects

10. Yes No Use in Fisheries Management Plans Economic Biological
Social/Cultural
Institutional
Objectives?
Information?
Analyses?
Used in decisions?
Yes
General Variable No
(S. Paul – CFRN)

11. Neglect of human dimension…
Nations are failing to achieve aspirations of ‘ecosystem-based’ and ‘integrated’ management policies
Many unintended or untracked consequences
Lack of ‘social license’

12. Practical integration
of the four pillars…

13. Practical integration requires…
‘systems approach’
Multi- or trans-disciplinary evaluations
Practical objectives for four pillars
Appropriate participation
Governance system capable of embracing all four aspects

14. Candidate objectives for sustainable fishery?
Ecological objectives
Productivity and trophic structure
Biodiversity
Habitat and ecosystem integrity
Economic objectives
Economic viability and prosperity,
Livelihoods,
Distribution of access and benefits,
Regional economic benefits to community
Social objectives
Health and wellbeing,
Sustainable communities,
Ethical fisheries
Institutional objectives
Legal obligations including to indigenous peoples,
Good governance structure,
Effective decision-making processes
Linked explicitly to policy statements
Including performance indicators

15. Not a single process… Planning cycle
Policies
Annual evaluation of tactics
Objectives (+ performance indicators)
Operational
cycle
Management plan

16. Strategic and operational cycles
Policies
Strategic
cycle
Evaluation of Strategic direction
Annual evaluation of tactics
Objectives (+ performance indicators)
Operational
cycle
Management plan

17. Currently… Spectrum of Participation: Industry Government
International agreements
Currently…
Political imperatives
Legislation
Research and literature
Policies
Subset of
relevant policies
Spectrum of
Participation:
Industry
Government
Annual evaluation of tactics
Objectives (+ performance indicators)
Operational
cycle
Management plan

18. More appropriately… Spectrum of Participation: Academics NGO’s Public
International agreements
More
appropriately…
Political imperatives
Legislation
Research and literature
Policies
Strategic
cycle
Spectrum of
Participation:
Academics
NGO’s
Public
Industry
Government
Evaluation of Strategic direction
Annual evaluation of tactics
Objectives (+ performance indicators)
Operational
cycle
Management plan

19. Politically endorsed ecological, social, economic and institutional aspirations/objectives
Fig. Y. Trans-disciplinary requirements of management in a fisheries system
Strategic
Ecological objectives
(e.g. productivity biodiversity and habitat)
Economic objectives
(e.g. viability, prosperity, livelihoods, distribution of benefit)
Social objectives
(e.g. sustainable communities, health and wellbeing, ethical fisheries)
Institutional objectives
(e.g. legal obligations, good governance structure, effective decision making processes)
Tactical

20. Process options for integration?
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Considerations
ecological
social/cultural
economic
institutional

21. Silos Of our: -organisations -backgrounds -disciplines

22. Link Silos in effective
collaborations

24. Practical 7 step challenge…
Think of fisheries as interacting social-ecological systems
Be aware of strategic vs operational aspects
Articulate objective for all 4 pillars
Collaborate across disciplines
Participate in interdisciplinary approaches
Encourage diverse discipline participation
Develop (or emulate) participatory governance regime

25. Practical steps to integrating economic, social and institutional aspects in fisheries management
R. Stephenson, Ashleen Benson, Kate Brooks, Tony Charles, Poul Degnbol, Cathy Dichmont, Marloes Kraan, Sean Pascoe, Stacey Paul, Melanie Wiber

26. A framework for scenario comparison
Management options
Scenario A
Scenario B
Scenario C
Ecological: productivity and trophic structure; biodiversity; habitat and ecosystem integrity
Economic: economic viability and prosperity; sustainable livelihoods; distribution of access and benefits, regional economic benefits to community
Social: Health and well-being; sustainable communities; ethical fisheries
Institutional: legal obligations including to indigenous peoples; good governance structure; effective decision-making process
Objectives
Scenarios may be compared in several ways…relatively, qualitatively or quantitatively

27. A framework for comprehensive evaluation of fisheries
Applied to all fisheries Tactical objectives (with performance measures) Ecological - Economic Social/cultural Institutional/governance
Strategic/
aspirational
Objectives
Ecological
Economic
Social/cultural
Institutional
Comprehensive set of Objectives
The bare framework has been useful in allowing people to articulate objectives

28. A practical framework for implementation of EAM/IM
Ecosystem
Assessment
Ecoregion/planning area (umbrella plan)
Nested plans for Managed activities
Common set of candidate objectives
(to influence all plans)
Cumulative performance
I feel this offers a practical framework for the implementation of an ecosystem approach and integrated management. It requires an empowered governance group (of the type, perhaps that was convened for ESSIM, or like the SWNB Marine Advisory Committee, perhaps?)