Integrating Stakeholders’ Perceptions into Decision-Making for Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management

Ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) is a more holistic alternative to single-species management. Currently, all eight regional Fishery Management Councils in the U.S. are carrying out EBFM planning or implementation. However, uncertainty exists on what principles and strategies are most effective to implement EBFM. In this study, council members in the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils were interviewed on their perceptions of EBFM and aspects related to its implementation. Results of these interviews were used to develop a survey to assess fishers’ opinions and investigate their levels of acceptance of concepts prioritized by council members. While in general, council members emphasized considerations of the ecosystem as characterizing EBFM, fishers focused on aspects of social impacts and fishers’ participation in decision making. Results of this study provide important information about the perceptions of different stakeholders on the implementation of EBFM in the Northeast U.S and can be used to guide EBFM implementation and facilitate communication between stakeholders by elucidating on priorities and areas of convergence and divergence of ideas. This research also tested a two-step approach to integrate multiple stakeholder input to assess and evaluate knowledge to inform EBFM decisions that are adaptive and context specific.