Testing systemic fishing responses with ecosystem indicators

• Main Authors: Fay, Gavin, Large, Scott I., Link, Jason S., Gamble, Robert J.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Subjects: Northwest Atlantic
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304380013002780

Successful implementation of Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) requires practical methods of translating information on system status into management actions. Threshold values in ecosystem indicators have been demonstrated to provide insight for characterizing change points in marine ecosystems and suggested as reference points for EBFM. We used a guild based multispecies simulation model of the Georges Bank finfish community to quantify tradeoffs and changes among values for proposed ecological indicators given alternative fishing scenarios, and tested the performance of indicator-based approaches for setting system ceilings on annual catches. Simulation modeling; MS-PROD; Ecological indicators; Ecosystem-based fisheries management; Northwest Atlantic; Management Strategy Evaluation;