Corporate responsibility, social justice, ethics…and fisheries?

Interesting article in the new issue of Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. The authors argue that corporate responsibility, social justice, and ethics are the most important issues to address for successful fisheries management. Their ideas are noteworthy as another attempt to think in terms of linked socio-ecological systems, instead of just the ecological system. More and more people are trying to do so, and it seems like a fruitful new direction not only for resource management but basic ecological research. However, I’m not convinced that a focus on philosophy and ethics, as suggested in this article, is going to pay off on a practical level for resource management. You really can’t change people’s viewpoints to conform to a particular philosophy or set of ethics. I believe that a more promising approach is to work holistically on integrating economics and ecology to support management decisions. As part of this approach, philosophical and ethical values can be factored into management decisions through economic models. Thoughts?

Bundy A, Chuenpagdee R, Jentoft S, Mahon R. 2008. If science is not the answer, what is? An alternative governance model for the world’s fisheries. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment: 6(3):152–155.

Gulf of Maine Science Symposium in the works

The Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine (RARGOM) has begun to plan a major symposium to be held in 2009. The Gulf of Maine Science Symposium will have sessions and presentations on the state of scientific knowledge about the Gulf of Maine, management of marine resources, and future needs for science and management. It’s envisioned as a gathering of policy makers, managers, marine industry, natural scientists, social scientists, and non-governmental organizations. The symposium will take place October 4-9, 2009, in St. Andrews, New Brunswick. DFO/St. Andrews Biological Station, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, and COMPASS are convening the symposium in collaboration with RARGOM.

Articles on ocean observing

There are several articles on ocean observing in Coastal Management, Volume 36, Issue 2:

Estimating the Economic Benefits of Regional Ocean Observing Systems
Authors: Hauke Kite-Powell; Charles Colgan; Rodney Weiher

The Potential Economic Benefits of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems: The Southeast Atlantic Region
Authors: Christopher F. Dumas; John C. Whitehead

The Economics of Using Ocean Observing Systems to Improve Beach Closure Policy
Authors: Linwood Pendleton

Cost and User Profile of a Coastal Ocean Observing System
Authors: Evan Richert; Philip Bogden; Josie Quintrell

Potential Benefits of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems to Alaskan Commercial Fisheries
Authors: Katharine F. Wellman; Marcus Hartley

A Bayesian Methodology for Estimating the Impacts of Improved Coastal Ocean Information on the Marine Recreational Fishing Industry
Authors: Kenneth Wieand

Ecology of the Northeast Continental Shelf

Here’s a handy 24-page booklet written by Michael Fogarty of NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Info ranges from fairly basic to more advanced — something for everyone. Well written and useful beyond fisheries. Nice illustrations showing how the ecosystem functions.

Ecology of the Northeast Continental Shelf: Toward an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (PDF, 996 KB)

Table of Contents: Foreword; Monitoring the Ecosystem; Ecosystem Drivers; Fueling the Ecosystem; Habitat and Benthos; Life in the Water Column; Fish Communities; Food Habits; Protected Resources; The Steps Ahead

NOAA needs assessment for the northeastern U.S.

NOAA has been conducting a needs assessment for the northeastern U.S. (Connecticut and north). The report is expected in June 2008. Socio-economic aspects of EBM were apparently identified as a big need. (NOAA released a different but related report a couple days ago. See blog post below).

Integrative Science for Society and Environment

The U.S. Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network is developing a new initiative to understand socio-ecological linkages underlying critical environmental issues. Integrative Science for Society and Environment: A Strategic Research Initiative is “intended to elevate environmental science in the U.S. to a new level of integration, collaboration, and synthesis needed to address these pressing, emerging challenges.” With the LTER Network, I edited a new brochure that outlines the ISSE framework (PDF, 484 KB). You can also download the complete decadal plan and ISSE report from www.lternet.edu/decadalplan.

NOAA needs assessment for EBM training

The NOAA Coastal Services Center is developing a training course for EBM. As part of the process, they conducted a needs assessment survey of 254 people involved in EBM. The summary report has just been released. It has info that will be useful for lots of other EBM-related efforts. The report is available on the CSC website (listed under Technical Reports). Here is the citation:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Services Center. 2008.
Summary Report for the Coastal Ecosystem-Based Management Course Needs Assessment.
NOAA/CSC/RPT 08-01. Charleston, SC: NOAA Coastal Services Center.

Salt marsh booklet released by Gulf of Maine Council

Today the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment released a 42-page booklet that I wrote under contract with the Science Translation Project in collaboration with 2 Council subcommittees. The booklet is called Salt Marshes in the Gulf of Maine: Human Impacts, Habitat Restoration, and Long-term Change Analysis. You can download a PDF or request a hard copy at www.gulfofmaine.org/saltmarsh. It’s a beautifully designed, full-color, glossy document with lots of photos and illustrations. The booklet is intended as a useful tool for resource managers, lawmakers, non-governmental organizations, educators, and others interested in understanding salt marshes as a key element of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem.

SeaWeb’s national survey on EBM communication

Yesterday I was at a small meeting in New Hampshire for a work group focused on developing communications infrastructure for ecosystem-based management (EBM) in the Gulf of Maine (click here for info about the work group). At the meeting, Kathleen Reaugh of SeaWeb presented preliminary findings from a national survey conducted over the last year-and-a-half. Results of the survey will probably be released by the end of March. Kathleen is SeaWeb’s Ecosystem-Based Management Communications Project Manager.

The purpose of the survey was to learn how to talk about EBM effectively with the public, “translate” science, and avoid communications pitfalls. They conducted a nationwide randomized poll and held focus groups in California, Florida, South Carolina, and Maine.

As next steps, SeaWeb plans to create research briefs, tools, training, and a website with resources that NGOs can use to communicate effectively about EBM. They also plan to organize a 2nd Annual EBM Communications Meeting in Washington, DC, probably in October 2008. For more information, check www.seaweb.org or contact Kathleen Reaugh at kreaugh@seaweb.org.

Ecological linkage of Georges Bank and Scotian Shelf

Just out in the new issue of Ecological Applications, an interesting paper suggests that migration—not fishing or environmental change—is responsible for the increase in winter skates on Georges Bank. Skates apparently move between the Scotian Shelf and Georges Bank.

Frisk, M.G., T. J. Miller, S. J. D. Martell, and K. Sosebee. 2008. New hypothesis helps explain elasmobranch “outburst” on Georges Bank in the 1980s. Ecological Applications 18: 234–245.