Ecosystem Management Workshops

Michael Jepson, Ph.D.

Facilitator

Workshop Overview

• Review of Ecosystems Management Approach

• Gulf Council Ecosystem Plan Approach

• Discussion of Stakeholder Concerns

• Review Stakeholder Comments and Consensus

Why Ecosystems Management?

• Over half of the U.S. population lives on the coast

• Human activities on land, along the coast and in the ocean are affecting marine ecosystems by – altering marine food web

– changing the climate

– damaging habitat

– eroding coastlines

– introducing invasive species

– and polluting coastal waters

• NOAA has reorganized to better position itself to work under an ecosystem approach.

• In FY04, Congress allocated $2 million for NOAA-Fisheries to conduct ecosystem management pilot projects in four regions:– New England

– Mid-Atlantic

– South Atlantic

– Gulf of Mexico

Why Ecosystems Management?

Development of the Generic Essential Fish Habitat Amendment (1998)

• Linkages between different habitats and life cycles

• Relationships between terrestrial and marine habitats

• Species interactions

What is the definition of an ecosystem approach to management?

• NOAA defines an ecosystem approach to management as one that is:– Adaptive– Regionally directed– Takes account of ecosystem knowledge– Takes account of uncertainty– Considers multiple external influences– Strives to balance diverse societal objectives

What is an Ecosystem

• An ecosystem is a geographically specified system of organisms (including humans), the environment, and the processes that control its dynamics.

– Humans are an integral part of marine and terrestrial ecosystems

– Ecosystems come in many sizes, often with smaller systems embedded within larger ones.

What is different?

• Ecosystem approach to management considers the cumulative impacts of different sectors and differs from current approaches that usually focus on a single species, sector, activity or concern

• Present species oriented management incorporates many aspects of ecosystem management, but not always in the same context

• Ecosystems approach to management will not replace current management, but will supplement and enhance it

Issues of Importance to the Gulf

• Bycatch or Fishery Interactions– Bycatch and fishery interactions including mortalities of non-target

species when multiple fisheries encounter the same species.

• Indirect Effects of Harvesting – Indirect effects of harvesting through trophic interactions, and indirect

effects through habitat-alteration, e.g. by fishing gear.

• Interactions between Biological, Physical and Human Components of Ecosystems – Trends in environmental variables (e.g. temperature, other

oceanographic attributes) may result in long-term changes of ecosystems

Fishery Issues in the Gulf

• Shrimp trawls Red Snapper Vermilion Snapper

• LNG Terminals Estuarine dependent species

• Shallow-water grouper Deep-water grouper

• Offshore Aquaculture

Fishery Issues in the Gulf

Environmental Events in the Gulf

• Tropical storm/Hurricane effects

• Red tide effects

• Hypoxic (Dead) Zone effects

Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Zone

Gulf Council Ecosystem Plan Approach

• Step 1: Collect information– Task 1: Public Meetings with Stakeholder Groups– Task 2: Attitudes/Values Survey– Task 3: Identification of Technical Needs and

Inventory of Existing Information– Task 4: Synthesis of Public Input on Ecosystem

Goals and Objectives • Step 2: Develop Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP)• Step 3: Modify Species Oriented Approach to

incorporate the components of the FEP

Topic Areas for Workshops

• (1) Adequacy of current approaches for addressing ecosystem considerations

• (2) Nature of ecosystem-based management and the goals to be achieved in addressing ecosystem issues

• (3) Nature of the public decision making processes for addressing management tradeoffs, consistent with identified goals

• (4) Mechanisms for considering activities outside the Gulf Council’s purview

• (5) Boundaries of sub-regional ecosystems within the Gulf of Mexico

• (6) Types of management measures that would be incorporated into ecosystem approaches for fishery management, consistent with the identified goals

• (7) Specific regional issues that need to be addressed in a FEP

• (8) Techniques for determining success of ecosystem-based management

• (9) Other issues considered important to the stakeholders in any particular region.

Topic Areas for Workshops