@DickeyCollas

Ecosystem based management: why try to herd cats?

Mark Dickey-Collas

Why ecosystem based management?

to promote biodiversity conservation, and explore consequences of trade-offs in the management of marine ecosystems

Marshak et al. 2016

In law, e.g. USA, Russia, Canada, Norway, EU, Int. treaties etc

Ecosystem based management – key words

optimize benefits amongdiverse societal goals

trade-offs

stewardship for future generations

sustainable use

consideration of collective pressures

management of human activities

achievement of goodenvironmental status

regional

See Convention on Biological Diversity & FAO guidelines

Generalised process

Balancing human activities & environmental stewardship in a multiple use context

Pragmatic Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management

How does ecosystem based management effect our science?

Delivery of science for management“Place your order, drive around, and pick up the answer”

Tools – Choose them carefully

Impossible to achieve realism, precision, and generality in one model.

Model creation requires trade-off of one of these, often conflicts with the desire of end-users.

Models are often employed without consideration of their limitations, e.g. projecting into unknown space without generalism, or fitting empirical models and inferring causality.

Dickey-Collas et al 2014, Hazard warning: model misuse ahead

Data – quiz time.

Who knows of the Aarhus Convention?

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/aarhus/

Aarhus Convention, in force 2001

• The right of everyone to receive environmental information that is held by public authorities including state assessments, policies & measures (< one month)

• Authorities have to actively disseminate information

• The right of everyone to participate in environmental decision-making.

• The right to review procedures to challenge public decisions

Europe & central Asia

Think what that does to your approach to data storage and provision when provided as evidence for decision making

Open, accessible, auditable, linked, equitable

Example: ICES Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems

http://www.ices.dk/marine-data/data-portals/Pages/vulnerable-marine-ecosystems.aspx

Transparency of data & decision process

Holsman et al 2017 & ICES 2016

Boundaries EBFM EBM

Prioritise pressures

http://www.ices.dk/community/advisory-process/Pages/Ecosystem-overviews.aspx

Example: EU marine strategy framework directive

Images: ICES

Objective:Good Environmental Status

• step wise process• ‘normative’ values

Ecosystem based management uses indicators

• To assess state

• To monitor progress towards targets

• To communicate

Rochet & Rice 2005, Jennings 2005

ICES operational indicators include…

status of fishstocks

spatial fishingpressure

seabed impact

vulnerable marineecosystem (VME)

birds

spatial weight &value of landings

eutrophication

Developing• Noise• Litter• Bycatch• Fish size x 2• Food web –guilds• Zooplankton• Sensitive species• Fish distributions

EBM centred on people so social indicators

• Well-being• Values• Agency• Inequality

UN SDG14

Hicks et al 2016

Example: Mid-Atlantic USAState of the ecosystem

Mid-Atlantic: http://www.mafmc.org/s/Tab02_2017-04_State-of-the-Ecosystem-and-EAFM.pdfNew England: http://s3.amazonaws.com/nefmc.org/2_2016-State-of-the-Ecosystem-Report.pdf

Alaska community profile: https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/refm/Socioeconomics/Projects/CPU.php

It isn’t so simple… with ecosystem based management

• solving challenges – wicked problems

• normative & vague objectives – Good Environmental Status

• uncertainty, values & stakes - post normal science

• science speaking to society - mode 1 and 2 science

• knowledge brokers - salient, credible, legitimate, social license

EBM wicked problems...thus needing iterations & consultations

Rittel & Webber 1973, Churchman 1976

Entering the consultation arena

Priorities for EBFM objectives, list of 26

Science Literature Fishing industry

1 Consider Ecosystem Connections Sustainability

2 Appropriate Spatial & Temporal Scales Develop Long -Term Objectives

3 Adaptive Management Stakeholder Involvement

4 Use of Scientific Knowledge Use of All Forms of Knowledge

Long et al. 2016. Key principles of ecosystem-based management: Fishers perspective

Bounded rationality in science & policy

Rationality of individuals is limited by information we have, cognitive limitations of our minds, & finite amount oftime we have to make a decision.

Image: tellthemisaidsomething.com/2013/

Knowledge exchange among scientists and decision makers for adaptive governance of marine resources

Voinov et al. 2016

Adaptive &revisiting

Co-production of knowledge

Challenges of natural scientists working with stakeholders:power dynamic, values, cost of iterations, perceived objectivity

Example: ICES economic trade-offs

Value landed when 10% of lowest fished area removed (2012-2015)

http://www.ices.dk/sites/pub/Publication%20Reports/Advice/2017/Special_requests/eu.2017.13.pdf

Spatial analysis of economic value of seabed impact

Process included exploration of concepts with stakeholders

ICES working towards an approach

• Best available knowledge, data and tools

• Quality control & transparency of all data, knowledge and synthesis

• Engage with the users of advice to define the issues, understand

interests, ensure that advice relates to societal choices.

• Inclusive scoping process with other stakeholders

• Promote industry-science partnerships

http://www.ices.dk/explore-us/Documents/ICES%20and%20EBM.pdf

Engaging as a scientist in EBM via co-production

• It will take much longer than expected, always frustrating, may not succeed resulting in great pain.

• The dialogue will challenge our academic training; and we must learn how to work deliberately with what we perceive as imperfection.

• Establish equitable partnerships; listening to others underpins our capacity to connect, build trust, adapt and evolve.

• The drive for simple communication may result in misleading answers but as everyone is always busy, you need to reduce the workload on partners.

“We fail more often because we solve the wrong problem than

because we get the wrong solution to the right problem”

(Russell Ackoff, 1950)

Thank you!

Issue of ecosystem variability and change

• Carrying capacity & productivity

• Density effects

• Shifts in distributions & behaviour

Conservation & fisheries issues

bycatch mixed fisheries competition for space

fleet dynamics ecosystem impacts equitable processes

Knowledge creation

Framework for interdisciplinary & transdisciplinary co-creation of the knowledge castle

Mauser et al 2013

8 tenets for scientists, policy-makers, and managers

(i) engage with players early, often, and continually;

(ii) conduct rigorous human dimensions research;

(iii) recognize the importance of transparently selecting indicators;

(iv) set ecosystem targets to create a system of EBM accountability;

(v) establish a formal mechanism(s) for the review of science;

(vi) serve current management needs, but not at the expense of more integrative ocean management;

(vii) provide a venue for EBM decision-making that takes full advantage of IEA products;

(viii) embrace realistic expectations about science and its implementation.

Samhouri et al 2014

Why ecosystem based management?

Also it’s the law... e.g.

Russia Sustainable exploitation of resources that does not damage the environment or ecosystem Federal law N 166-P3 20/12/200

USA Healthy & resilient, safe & productive, understood & treasured so as to promote the well-being, prosperity, & security of present & future generations. Executive Order 13547

Norway Good ecosystem health & sustainable use, Regional MPs

EU Good Environmental Status, MSFD, and ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management' means an integrated approach to managing

fisheries within ecologically meaningful boundaries, Common Fisheries Policy 2014

• Ecosystem based management (EBM) is a well-documented set of principles that lays out how society thinks we should manage the ecosystem. EBM acknowledges that we humans impact and gain benefits from the seas and should maintain them for future generations.

• I will share my interpretation of EBM and explore the ramifications of EBM for scientists that want to provide knowledge into the process. Successful utilisation of the knowledge is associated with understanding the role we play in the management framework.

• There is a skill set that the applied scientist needs to maintain when operating in the EBM arena.

• I will discuss some of the challenges and solutions that I have encountered.• I will use example success stories to illustrate that tangible progress is being made

across a range of scales and institutional frameworks. • Progress can be made by prioritising EBM objectives, setting clear boundaries and

realising that knowledge production contributes to EBM, but is not the raison d'être for EBM.

• Don’t herd cats; monitor, assess and influence their behaviour.40 minute slot, 30ish slides