Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management

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Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management at the
Pacific Fishery Management Council
Perspectives from the Front Line
Donald O. McIsaac, Ph.D. Pacific Fishery
Management Council Executive Director May 1, 2009
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Fishery Regulatory Process
Research/Science
Public Input
Council Recommendations to NOAA
U S Coast Guard
U.S. Department of Commerce Approves and
Codifies Federal Fishery Regulations
Enforcement
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Pacific Council is Poised to Start EBFM Why?
1. Improve Fishery Management Performance of
Existing Fishery Management Plans, via a More
Comprehensive Scientific Approach
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Pacific Council is Poised to Start EBFM Why?
2. Expand Fishery Management Capabilities to
Species and Habitats Not Currently in Council FMPs
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Marine
Protected Areas In Federal Waters
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Limited EBFM Concepts in Current Practice at the
Pacific Fishery Management Council

• Harvest Ban on All Species of Euphausiids
• Harvest Control Rules for Coastal Pelagics
• Marine Protected Areas
• Oregon Coastal Coho Harvest Control Rule

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Existing EBFM Concepts
Harvest Ban on All Species of Krill (Euphausiids)

• Recognizes Importance of Krill in Marine Food Web
• Helpful to Overfished Rockfish and Salmon Species
  Listed under the ESA.
• Implementation Challenges May Have Been Avoided
  Under and Ecosystem Fishery Management Plan

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Existing EBFM Concepts
Harvest Control Rules for Coastal Pelagics
HGyear1 (Biomassyear Cutoff)
Fraction(5-15) Distribution

• Pacific Sardine-150,000mt
• Minimizes Potential for Overfishing
• Precautionary Forage Species Policy

Environmental Component
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Existing EBFM Concepts
Marine Protected Areas
Rockfish Conservation Areas
Essential Fish Habitat Closures
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Existing EBFM Concepts
Coho Salmon Harvest Control Rule
Oregon Coastal Natural Coho Harvest Matrix Oregon Coastal Natural Coho Harvest Matrix Oregon Coastal Natural Coho Harvest Matrix Oregon Coastal Natural Coho Harvest Matrix
MARINE SURVIVAL INDEX (based on return of jacks per hatchery smolt) MARINE SURVIVAL INDEX (based on return of jacks per hatchery smolt) MARINE SURVIVAL INDEX (based on return of jacks per hatchery smolt)
Low Medium High
PARENT SPAWNER STATUS Allowable Total Fishery Impact Rate Allowable Total Fishery Impact Rate Allowable Total Fishery Impact Rate
High 15 30 35
Medium 15 20 25
Low 15 15 15
Low 10-13 15 15
Uses Smolt to Jack Survival as an Indicator of
Marine Ecological Conditions
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Existing EBFM Concepts Multi-Species Management

• Pacific Council Does Not Strictly Manage with a
  Single Species Focus
• Krill Harvest Ban Multiple Species Benefits
• Salmon Bycatch Management in Pacific Whiting
  Fishery
• Incidental Groundfish Take in Salmon Fishery
• Protected Species Interactions

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Current Status
The Pacific Council is Poised to Start Sophisticated EBFM The Pacific Council is Poised to Start Sophisticated EBFM
Fall 2006 Initial Process and Exploration of EBFM Concepts
Spring 2007 Developing an Ecosystem FMP Proposed, Plan Development Team Goals/Membership Identified
Summer 2007 Funding Not Approved
2008 Funding Not Approved
2009 Funding Currently Being Considered
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• E-FMP Development in 2007
• Evolutionary, not revolutionary
• Build on Existing Concepts
• Ecosystem Principles Advisory Panel Report (1999)
• John Field and Robert Francis, Considering
  ecosystem-based fisheries management in the
  California Current (2006)
• PSMFC sponsored panel and report Strengthening
  Scientific Input and Ecosystem-Based Fishery
  Management for the Pacific and North Pacific
  Fishery Management
• Council White Paper Development of an Ecosystem
  Fishery Management Plan

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Umbrella FMP

• Discusses regulatory role
• Defines geographic scope
• Specifies management unit species
• FMP Interrelated, species interactions
• Ecosystem Information

Annual State of the Ecosystem Report
Marine Reserves EA or EIS
Forage Species EA or EIS?
Other EAs/EISs
tiered actions
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Barriers to Implementation

• Funding
• Potential Legal Questions on EBFM Implementation

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Barriers to Implementation Funding

• 400K Requested for Initiation of E-FMP, Yet to
  Be Granted
• 10s of Millions Spent within NOAA on EBFM
• On Development, Research, Monitoring, and
  Modeling, but little on Implementation
• The Pacific Council Process is the Proper
  Regional Forum for EBFM Implementation on the
  West Coast
• Formal Policy Adoption
• Actual Fishing Regulations

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Barriers to Implementation Potential Legal
Questions on EBFM Implementation

• Do E-FMPs Need to meet MSA Section 303
  Requirements?
• Benchmarks such as MSY and OY for all components
• OFL and ACLs
• Management Authority over Ecosystem Components
• Can E-FMPs Include Fishery Management Authority?
• MSA Reauthorization Provided Little Specific
  Guidance

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What Next? Contingent Upon Funding

• Form a Plan Development Team - 10 members
• 1 from each coastal state 1 tribal 1 each from
  the NMFS NWR, SWR, NWFSC, and SWFSC and 2 from
  NOS
• From An Advisory Subpanel- 10 members
• 2 fishery reps. for each of the 4 FMPs, a
  conservation representative, and a representative
  of coastal communities
• Initial Charge Develop (1) description of the
  purpose and need, and (2) a list of goals and
  objectives of an Ecosystem FMP

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What Next? Contingent Upon Funding

• Two-Year Process to Develop an E-FMP
• Scientific Review SSC and Peer Review
• Full Council Process
• Public Input
• Government Agency and Tribal Input
• Transparent Decision Making

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In Closing

• True EBFM Implementation and Application on the
  West Coast Must include the Council Process
• A systematic approach for a full regulatory
  process via a formal FMP is poised for
  development
• Funding and Potential Legal Questions are Current
  Barriers

Who is in charge?