1. Head, Marine Conservation
The Ecosystem Approach
Alan Fisher
Coherent actions for marine and coastal environments
Dan Laffoley
Head, Marine Conservation
English Nature
&
Report co-author

2. Alan Fisher Background to the report UK Government request
Supporting the CBD agenda
Complementing EU actions
Bridging a ‘gap’ in guidance

3. Audience
Alan Fisher
“…senior decision makers and policy advisors who have a role in shaping the future for our coasts and seas…”
UK, EU, Global
….but of wider interest and value

4. Alan Fisher Aims of the report Development of a framework to apply
the Ecosystem Approach
Advice on priorities for action
Importance of adaptive management
and the precautionary principle
Explaining the Ecosystem Approach

5. Alan Fisher Sustainable development
“…means using natural resources in a way that avoids irreversible damage to ecosystem structure and function, the loss of irreplaceable features or a reduction in
ecosystem resilience.”

6. principles to practical actions
The Ecosystem Approach
Alan Fisher
Key challenge
How to get from general
principles to practical actions

7. Alan Fisher A focus on coherence Economic Social Key priorities for
Environmental
Economic
Social
Spatial
Temporal
Scientific
Institutional
Key priorities for
practical
actions

8. Alan Fisher ‘Environmental coherence’
Taking a fully representative approach
to biodiversity
Using surrogate information sources
Defining the ecosystem outcomes
being sought
Avoiding damaging the genetics of
species
Implementing strict site protection
measures for sustainable use

9. Illustrations of functionality
Alan Fisher

10. Alan Fisher ‘Economic coherence’ Defining economic objectives
Developing management effectiveness
indicators
Using best practice for assessing
environmental impacts
Addressing combined and cumulative
impacts
Fishing within ecosystem limits
Taking an integrated approach to
nutrient enrichment

11. Illustrations of uses & impacts
Alan Fisher
October 1963

12. Illustrations of uses & impacts
Alan Fisher
October 1963
November 2001

13. Alan Fisher ‘Social coherence’ Stakeholder participation and
transparency in decisions
Planning decision-making processes
Effective participation by all relevant
stakeholders
Understanding and ownership of
biodiversity benefits

14. Illustrations of values & benefits
Alan Fisher

15. Alan Fisher ‘Temporal coherence’ Working with ‘locked in’ changes to
the environment
Working with past impacts and
‘shifting baselines’
Sustaining long-term political ambition
Establishing timeframe-relevant
indicator set
Implementing a regional sea
management plan timetable

16. Alan Fisher Shifting baselines 1900
Predator biomass caught (tonnes per km2)
Pauly & Maclean 2003, based on Christensen et al 2001, 2003

17. Alan Fisher Shifting baselines 1950
Pauly & Maclean 2003, based on Christensen et al 2001, 2003

18. Alan Fisher Shifting baselines 1975
Pauly & Maclean 2003, based on Christensen et al 2001, 2003

19. Alan Fisher Shifting baselines 1999
Pauly & Maclean 2003, based on Christensen et al 2001, 2003

20. Facts about the future
Alan Fisher

21. Alan Fisher Next steps A practical framework
Championing the priorities
Supporting European actions?

22. Alan Fisher
END

23. Alan Fisher ‘Spatial coherence’ European Marine Strategy spatial
framework
Implementing a spatial planning
Spatial regulation and management of
the resource
Spatial distribution of the resource
Providing a common coastline and
bathymetry data set

24. Alan Fisher ‘Scientific coherence’ Aligning science to society and
sustainable development
Undertaking regional seas-scale
science
Improving access to data
Widening the scope of scientific advice
Supporting greater ownership and use
of advice
Improve the synthesis of existing

25. Alan Fisher ‘Institutional coherence’
Reforming institutional arrangements
Providing high-level support and
co-ordination
Providing adequate support at local
levels