1. 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

2. 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

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

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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.

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

12. 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

13. Next Steps
Develop strategy to facilitate partner and stakeholder engagement in FEP development process
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

14. Questions Further questions or comments: Additional Resources:
Bill Arnold, Ph.D, SERO
Cynthia Meyer, Ph.D, SERO
Additional Resources:
These objective is to more fully adopt a systematic, integrated approach based on a solid, continually advancing, and innovative science foundation.