Ecosystems 2010: Global Progress on Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management

Title: Ecosystems 2010: Global Progress on Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management
Location: Fairbanks, UNITED STATES
Link out: Click here
Start Date: 2010-11-08
End Date: 2010-11-11

Description:

Ecosystems 2010: Global Progress on Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management 26th Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium

This symposium will bring together international fishery scientists, managers, and stakeholders to share insights into the current status and future prospects on ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM). After achieving general international consensus on the need for EBFM in the 1990s, to what extent is it being successfully implemented? This symposium builds on the 16th Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium, “Ecosystem Approaches for Fisheries Management,” held in 1998, as well as international symposia held in France, Iceland, and Norway in the last decade.
Background

Since the 1990s, fisheries managers have been advised to broaden their scope of awareness beyond single-species considerations owing to

  • General poor performance of single-species fishery management worldwide.
  • Heightened awareness of interactions among fisheries and ecosystems.
  • Better understanding of the functional value of ecosystems to humans.
  • Recognition of the wide range of societal objectives associated with marine fishery resources and ecosystems.

As a result, fisheries management has been shifting toward an ecosystem-based fisheries management, also called an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF). EAF strives to balance diverse societal objectives by taking into account the knowledge and uncertainties of biotic, abiotic, and human components of ecosystems and their interactions and applying an integrated approach to fisheries within ecologically meaningful boundaries.

Considerable progress has been made by organizations such as FAO, ICES, and PICES, to develop the framework, rationale, and international consensus toward ecosystem approaches. Efforts have been directed toward developing new modeling tools and ecosystem indicators that can be used for implementation. Yet some substantial challenges remain, including the need to develop operational objectives, requirements for more empirical information and associated increased costs of implementation, and practical matters of implementing the ecosystem approach by institutions that have failed to successfully implement single-species management.

For these reasons, it is timely to undertake a comprehensive review of EBFM, including new advancements and ongoing obstacles, case studies of implementation including successes and failures, progress toward operational objectives, new institutional arrangements, practical eco-region definitions, new analytical tools, and pragmatic approaches under cost constraints.

Goal

The goals of Ecosystems 2010 are twofold. First, we seek to evaluate global progress toward ecosystem-based fisheries management, by reviewing regional case studies, development of new analytical tools and practical approaches toward future progress. Second, given this evaluation, we seek to offer explicit, practical advice for progress in EBFM implementation.

Program

Oral presentations and posters addressing the Ecosystems 2010 symposium theme are sought covering the following topics:

Session 1: Progress on regional applications of ecosystem-based management and fishery ecosystem plans, including identification of operational objectives (conservation, social, economic), and eco-regions.
Session 2: New analytical tools (strategic vs. tactical models, risk assessment, integrated ecosystem assessments). Evaluations of the utility of ecosystem indicators and empirical information needed to support EBFM.
Session 3: Human dimensions of EBFM, including successful stakeholder processes, and different perspectives on ecosystem approaches.
Session 4: Case studies and practical solutions (e.g., zoning, marine protected areas).
Session 5 (Panel): Necessary steps for future progress. What’s next?

The program will be available after the abstract submission and review process is complete. The program will be updated as necessary until the time of the meeting.

Invited Speakers

The following experts will give invited talks at the symposium.

Symposium keynote speaker

Dr. Howard Browman, Principal Research Scientist, Institute of Marine Science, Bergen, Norway.
“The ecosystem approach to managing aquatic resources has a lot to do with management but little to do with ecology or ecosystems.”

Session 1: Progress on regional applications of ecosystem-based management
Session 2: New analytical tools

Dr. Rick Fletcher, Director, Fisheries Research, Department of Fisheries, Western Australia Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories, Western Australia
Dr. Chang Ik Zhang, Professor, Pukyong National University, Busan, Korea

Session 3: Human dimensions of ecosystem-based fisheries management

Dr. Anthony Charles, Professor of Management Science and Environmental Studies, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Dr. Mitsutaka Makino, Fisheries Research Agency, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

Session 4: Case studies and practical solutions

Dr. Hashali Hamukuaya, Executive Secretary and Chief Technical Advisor, Benguela Current Commission, Windhoek, Namibia
Dr. Robert Stephenson, Research Scientist and Director, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, St. Andrews Biological Station, New Brunswick, Canada

Proceedings

Alaska Sea Grant will publish a peer-reviewed proceedings, including full papers based on oral and poster presentations, soon after the symposium. Members of the steering committee will serve as editors for the symposium proceedings.

Location and Facilities

All meeting sessions will be held at the Hotel Captain Cook in downtown Anchorage. The Captain Cook offers very nice accommodations with wireless Internet in meeting and guest rooms. Guest amenities include a café, fine dining, business center, health club, swimming pool, and whirlpool. Most guest rooms have great views of mountains or Cook Inlet.

Guest rooms will be available at the special meeting rate of $99/night single or double occupancy plus 12% bed tax. Be sure to make your reservations directly with the hotel by October 8, 2010. This rate extends three days prior to and three days after the meeting dates.

Hotel Captain Cook
939 W. 5th Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99501
1-800-843-1950 toll free or 907-276-6000
http://www.captaincook.com

Registration

The registration fee for the symposium is $275.00 US ($200 student) if paid on or before October 8, 2010. The late registration fee will be $325.00 ($250 student) after October 8. The fee covers continental breakfast and break refreshments daily, a catered reception on November 8, symposium materials, and published proceedings. You are urged to register and pay your fees in advance so that adequate materials are available.

If you have any questions or need further information, please see the contact information at the bottom of this page.

Steering Committee

Gordon H. Kruse (chair)
University of Alaska Fairbanks, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Juneau Center, Juneau, Alaska, USA
Howard Browman
(ICES) Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway
David Christie
NOAA Alaska Sea Grant, University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA
Kevern Cochrane
Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations, Rome, Italy
Diana Evans
North Pacific Fishery Management Council, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Glen S. Jamieson
Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Patricia A. Livingston
NOAA Fisheries Service, Seattle, Washington, USA
Douglas Woodby
Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Juneau, Alaska, USA
Chang-Ik Zhang
(PICES) Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea

Symposium Contact Information

Alaska Sea Grant College Program
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Phone: 907-474-6701 • Fax: 907-474-6285
Email: asg.meetings@uaf.edu