The Process of Developing the Sole Management Plan Contents of the Sole Plan
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information should not be used as a reason for postponing or failing to take conservation and management measures.
Adaptive management is another concept that is crucial for successful fisheries
management— especially in data poor contexts. The adaptive management approach allows for changes in management by evaluating the effects of current
management actions on reaching the objectives of management. As actions are implemented, they generate information to use in judging whether those actions are
having their intended effect, and to assess if the management “hypothesis” is or is not accurate. If an action did not have the intended effect, managers must decide
whether the problem is due to poor implementation of the action, or whether the hypothesis must be reformulated and new actions identified. Adaptive management
requires that decisions be made quickly and actions adjusted accordingly, often before the next fishing season begins. Adaptive management is especially suited
for decentralized management contexts and data poor situations. An ecosystem-based management approach to fisheries management EBFM
focuses on conserving the underlying health and resilience of the ecosystem, thus maintaining the system’s goods and services and leading to increased productivity.
Developing an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management need not be complicated. As both the human systems and the natural ecosystems upon which
they depend become increasingly vulnerable, fisheries management needs to become increasingly resilient and capable of adapting to changes that will occur. In
capture fisheries, systems that are decentralized and use a co-management approach are more capable of adapting to changing conditions. There is increased
recognition that fisheries can be more efficiently managed when fisheries stakeholders are involved in the process. As fisheries become self-regulated, issues
of enforcement and compliance—often major factors in management failure— typically diminish. Co-management is a partnership arrangement where fishermen
and government share responsibility and authority for managing the fishery. It has many variations ranging from fishermen playing a minor role to being included as
major decision-makers, often supporting the science, enforcement, and management of the fishery.