1. What makes the Ecosystem Approach work in natural resource management – or not?
Tony Smith (*) and Jake Rice (#)
MSEAS 2016, Brest, France May 2016
CSIRO Wealth from Oceans Flagship
*CSIRO and Centre for Marine Socioecology, #DFO

2. Outline The ecosystem approach Three Australian case studies
Great Barrier Reef
Ecosystem based fisheries management
Oceans Policy
Comparisons and conclusions
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3. The Ecosystem Approach
Origins
UNCED 1992 (Rio)
UNEP/CBD 1998
Key elements
Consideration of environmental forcing and variation
Consideration of ecological and socioeconomic “footprint” of activities and decisions
Integrated decision making for multiple use
More participatory and inclusive approaches to governance
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4. The EA in Australia Australia as an early adopter
National strategy on Ecologically Sustainable Development (1992)
Sector adoption e.g. EBFM (mid to late 1990s)
Legislative force – Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (late 1990s)
Australia’s Oceans Policy (late 1990s)
After two decades of implementation, what have been the successes and failures and what have we learned?
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5. The Great Barrier Reef
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6. The Great Barrier Reef Management system
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975
“to provide for the long term protection and conservation of the environment, biodiversity and heritage values of the GBR region”
Managed from outset for multiple use
Fishing, tourism, ports and shipping (no mining or drilling)
Managed by GBR Marine Park Authority
Joint authority: Australian Commonwealth and Queensland
Zoning as major management tool
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7. The Great Barrier Reef Outcomes
GBR Marine Park widely regarded as a model for multiple use ocean management
Strict protection increased in 2004 to about 30% of reef area
Direct $5B benefit to Australian economy
Comprehensive stakeholder engagement process
Declared World Heritage Area
But
Environmental values of park under threat
Land based nutrients and pesticides
Ocean acidification
Ocean warming (coral bleaching)
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8. The Great Barrier Reef
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9. EBFM in Australia Management system
ESD adopted nationally 1992 (move towards EA)
Given prominence in fisheries legislation mid 1990s
EBFM adopted nationally early 2000s
EBFM reporting framework (Fletcher et al 2005)
Ecological risk assessment (Fletcher 2005, Hobday et al 2011)
Ecological risk management
Whole of fishery management strategy evaluation (Sainsbury et al 2000, Fulton et al 2014)
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10. EBFM in Australia Outcomes ERA  Species at risk prioritization
Species recovery plans
Use of existing management tools
Spatial management, gear modification, temporal closures
Improved monitoring and reporting
ERA  Focus on benthic habitats
Gear footprint analysis
Some surprising results!
Fishery certification
Patagonian toothfish
Tropical prawn fisheries
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11. A spectacular failure

12. The campaign
Unusual alliance of eNGO and recreational fishing lobbies

14. Australia’s Oceans Policy
Management systems
AOP 1998 (Australian contribution to Year of the Oceans)
Initially national, then only federal
Initially driven by PM&C, then Council of Ministers
National Oceans Office (NOO)
Focus on Regional Marine Plans (RMPs)
Multiple use
Wide stakeholder engagement
Regional scientific assessments
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15. Australia’s Oceans Policy
Outcomes
Only one RMP ever developed
Review in 2004 
Council of Minsters replaced by single minister (environment)
NOO subsumed into Environment Department
Threats to existing power structures
RMP  Marine Bioregional Plans
National Representative System of MPAs
Achieved in 2012 but change of government in 2013 put implementation on hold
AOP in effect no longer exists
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16. Managing multiple uses and the scope of EA
Or one ring to rule them all? (and in the darkness bind them!)

17. Comparisons GBR EBFM AOP
40 years of place based management of an iconic area
Authority to manage “local” threats but susceptible to global threats
Generally successful but …
EBFM
15-20 years of single threat based management
Built on already successful management model
AOP
Place and threat based
6 years then switched focus
Clearly unsuccessful
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18. Conclusions Lessons learned
Place or threat based approaches can be successful
Strong stakeholder engagement critical but in case of AOP too unwieldy
Strong and continuing political support also vital
AOP: “Failure of governance, science, funding and nerve”
Strong institutions essential …
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19. Implications of loss of trust in institutions?
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20. Sources
Rice and Smith (2015) Ecosystem-based management: Opportunities and challenges in the ocean forest. In S. Rossi (ed.) Marine Animal Forests. Springer International, Switzerland. Vince et al (2015) Australia’s Oceans Policy: past, present and future. Marine Policy, 57: 1-8
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21. Thank you
CSIRO Marine Laboratories, Hobart