Ecosystem-based management: Ecosystem-Based Management Timeline
A timeline of events relating to ecosystem management, with most recent events first, is provided below. For current events, see Ecosystem-Based Management.
April 2008
The Council wrote to NOAA requesting funds for an ecosystem management plan (view the letter). The funds were not granted.
From the Council’s April 2008 decision document: The Council tasked the Executive Director send a letter to NOAA Administrator Vice Admiral Lautenbacher, requesting support and funding of the Council’s initiative to implement an Ecosystem Fishery Management Plan which could help meet Council and Sanctuary objectives.
September 2007
From the Council’s September 2007 decision document: The Council approved recommendations of the Legislative Committee including: 1) Recommending a Council-specific letter to the sponsors of H.R. 21 to emphasize Council efforts to implement ecosystem-based fishery management principles and stress the importance of adequately funding current legislative mandates under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
June 2007
Council develops “Summary of PFMC proposal for developing an ecosystem management plan” (Get the Summary).
Spring 2007
From the Council newsletter: At its April meeting, the Council voted to create a plan development team for an ecosystem fishery management plan (FMP), contingent on funding. The team may include members of existing advisory subpanels, management teams, and the Habitat Committee, and be chaired by a member of the Scientific and Statistical Committee. The team’s initial assignment is to provide the Council with a statement describing the purpose and need for an ecosystem FMP, and a list of goals and objectives for such an FMP. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) volunteered to provide support and educational presentations about ecosystem management, as necessary.
The Council first voted to go forward with an ecosystem FMP in November 2006. The FMP is intended to serve as an “umbrella” plan over the four existing FMPs, helping with coastwide research planning and policy guidance, and creating a framework for status reports on the health of West Coast ecosystems. The plan envisioned by the Council would not replace the existing FMPs, but would advance fishery management under these FMPs by introducing new theories, new scientific findings, and new authorities to the current Council process.
To help with planning and to facilitate discussion, Council staff drafted a white paper that looks at issues related to developing an ecosystem FMP. The paper discusses phasing in an ecosystem FMP over time, as a strategic planning document.
A programmatic environmental impact statement is proposed to outline this strategic vision. The white paper also discusses the importance of an ecosystem information program based on expertise within NMFS and other research institutions. Funding for developing an ecosystem FMP and convening the plan development team is being sought. The recent reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act calls for a report on the state of the science for advancing the concepts and integration of ecosystem considerations into fishery management, and may open up new funding opportunities. Council members are looking into other funding options, a topic likely to be discussed at the May 2007 Council Coordination Committee meeting in New Orleans.
April 2007
From the Council’s April 2007 decision document: Contingent on new additional funding, the Council passed a motion regarding the next steps in development of an Ecosystem FMP. The motion described seats on a modified plan development team and an initial assignment to provide the Council with a concise statement that includes (1) description of the purpose and need, and (2) a list of goals and objectives of an Ecosystem FMP; the statement is to be consistent with the record of consensus Council dialogue at the April 2007 and November 2006 Council meetings. NMFS also volunteered to provide support and presentations from the NWFSC and SWFSC, as necessary.
November 2006
From the Council’s November 2006 decision document: The Council reviewed new and existing alternatives for developing fishing regulations to complete proposed marine protected areas within the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. As a near term measure, the Council decided to move forward with pursuing marine research reserves under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and California state regulations. As a long term measure, the Council decided to initiate a new Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP). The new FEP is intended to be of an “umbrella” type structure, so as to allow the current four Council FMPs to continue while at the same time enable comprehensive and coordinated fishery regulation in all EEZ ecosystems.
Motion #20: Begin the process of exploring an ecosystem FMP and to use the work already conducted elsewhere along this line to frame how we might approach this FMP. Start the process of looking into what information is available, how an EFMP would be described, and use the current committees to discuss how we might explore this. Moved by: Marija Vojkovich. Seconded by: Roger Thomas. Motion 20 passed.
Joint meeting between HC and SSC Ecosystem Management Subcommittee takes place in Del Mar, California on November 14. Results in “minutes” document.
June 2006
From the Council’s June 2006 decision document: The Council considered the Habitat Committee (HC) recommendation to engage in three elements to advance further consideration of ecosystem-based fishery management (EBFM) in the context of a similar proposal from the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). The Council directed both advisory bodies to pursue elements of EBFM background work, and directed the Chair of the HC to coordinate with the Chair of the SSC Ecosystem Management Subcommittee to accomplish various tasks, avoid duplication in their efforts, and report back to the Council in November. The Council directed the HC to describe actions the Council has already taken that address an EBFM approach and to review other Regional Councils’ current ecosystem management plans or planning efforts. The Council directed the SSC to review the current scientific literature on EBFM and consider what scientific underpinnings should be considered as components to any potential EBFM plan.
For more information, contact Mike Burner (Mike.Burner@noaa.gov).
