WHAT IS THE ECOSYSTEM APPROACH TO FISHERIES MANAGEMENT?

Abstract

The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries EAF has been developed in recent years in order to address the failures of fisheries management practices. FAO has devoted a considerable amount of work in bringing the principles of EAF into practical fisheries management plans. However although there are several examples around the world on the application of EAF, there is still a big misconception of what EAF actually is and how it can be applied to fisheries management. This article tries to give a short overview of the development of the EAF approach and how it can be applied in practice. EAF is basically a management planning process rooted in the principles of sustainable development and using risk assessment methodologies. It tries to balance out different societal objectives such as the resources, the ecosystem and the human dimension of fisheries. This is done through the development of a fisheries management plan with the active participation of stakeholders. The planning process goes through four main steps in order to identify the scope of the management plan, identify the issues concerned and decide which are the most important priorities and then develop the management system with several management measures. The last step involves the monitoring and review of the management measures put in place. This process, however must be developed based on the particularity of each area and fishery and that all the important stakeholders are involved from the start of the process. This is a key factor in making any fisheries management plan successful.

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