Managing the Ecosystem by Leverage Points: A Model for a Multispecies Fishery
Nicholas Bax, Alan Williams, Stevie Davenport, and Cathy Bulman
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Description
Ecosystem management has been popularly adopted as a goal of fisheries management, but what does it really mean? In stressed ecosystems, ecosystem functions may remain unchanged while changes in species composition—particularly dominance—and the health of individuals can change dramatically (Schindler et al. 1985). The species are more sensitive indicators of stress than the system. We suggest, therefore, that there is little value in trying to manage a marine ecosystem as a whole. Instead one should manage people’s interaction with the particular ecosystem components that influence the quantity and quality of valued products. We call these particular interactions "leverage points" and use a 5-year study of the southeastern Australian continental shelf fishery ecosystem to show how leverage points can be found. Neither nearshore production nor predation on commercial fish species has a major influence on fisheries production; they therefore have little leverage potential. However, the interaction of benthic habitat with fish and fishers is a potential leverage point. Benthic habitat directly influences the fish community, and specific benthic habitats are vulnerable to fishing. Their vulnerability is increasing because of technological advances in accurate positioning (Global Positioning System) and position recording (trackplotters), fishing vessel power, and fishing gear. Accurate positioning can also be used to manage the location of fishing effort. For this leverage point to be successful, the spatial management of fishing effort would need to be developed in collaboration with the fishing industry and to be targeted specifically at the vulnerable habitats. We suggest that new management instruments such as the transferable ecological stock rights are needed to link fisheries management directly to the ecosystem.
Item details
- Item number: AK-SG-99-01v
- Year: 1999
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.4027/eafm.1999.22
