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Figure 21. According to Sinclair and Valdimarsson (2003), adding “ecosystem
considerations to present fishery
management system methods can be done gradually, some changes are called
for:
“Instead of addressing a definite fish
stock solely, the whole ecosystem and its components will have to
be
included in the consideration. This may well start with some factors
only, reflecting the availability of data.
-
Definition of management
objectives will be broader, without losing sight
of those of particular short-term
interest to the fisheries sector.
-
The number of reference points and
indicators will increase, (e.g. size compositions or average trophic
level
of catch), and hence the need to widen the scientific base for
management decisions.
-
Monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS)
systems will have to be strengthened, with inevitability higher
costs.
-
Institutional arrangements will have to be strengthened
and broadened to include non-fishery stakeholders
and allow consultations with all legitimate interested parties
concerning management objectives as well as
management measures, although those from the fishery sector,
including the fisherfolk themselves, will
continue to be the nucleus.
-
Stakeholder engagement should be promoted
through training and public awareness programs.
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A considerable extra
effort in research will be required, not only for verifying indicators
and reference
points, but also on the economic and social implications
of ecosystem-based fisheries management
(EBFM), including factors such as the equitable sharing
of costs and benefits between stakeholders (and by
addressing any overcapacity and fishing effort problems).
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A visible
leap ahead is needed to assisting developing countries to increase
their capacity to introduce this
wider fishery management concept into their fisheries.”
Further, to achieve optimal management best practices
an effort to reduce uncertainties is important to
promote relevant research on ecosystem subjects such as:
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“considering improved methods for consultation
and joint decision making so as to improve ecosystem
governance;
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ensuring all critical habitats for the key species
in the ecosystem are located and mapped, and identifying
and addressing any threats;
-
improving knowledge of the food webs,
including prey and predator relationships, to facilitate consideration
of possible ecosystem responses to different management actions;
-
improving
the monitoring of by-catch and discards in all fisheries to obtain
a better knowledge of the
amount of catch actually taken; and
-
studying any threats to the marine
ecosystems from human sources outside fisheries, whether land-based
or
marine, and investigating means to minimize
these.”
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