Essential fish habitat consultations support ecosystem-based fisheries management in Alaska ICES Journal of Marine Science

Ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) is a systematic approach to fisheries management in a geographically specified area that contributes to the resilience and sustainability of the ecosystem. In the US, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) implements EBFM under federal laws, including the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), which defines essential fish habitat (EFH). NOAA Fisheries implements the EFH consultation requirements of the MSA to mitigate potential sources of anthropogenic impacts, conserve EFH, and support sustainable fisheries. There is little research regarding management outcomes resulting from EFH consultations. We demonstrate three Alaska case studies, where inter-agency consultations regarding impacts on EFH resulted in localized management outcomes in (1) offshore, (2) nearshore, and (3) watershed habitats. The first established a framework to improve emergency response preparedness for large scale oil spills offshore. The resultant programmatic EFH consultation provided the foundation to conduct a robust analysis identifying sensitive habitat zones to avoid dispersant use in offshore oil spill response. The second explores an EFH consultation where conservation recommendations informed modifications to a construction project to protect nearshore fish nursery habitats. Project managers implemented numerous mitigation measures, including eelgrass surveys, adopted no work windows, and adhered to acoustic thresholds to minimize impacts. The third is an analysis of a proposed, large-scale mining operation in a salmon bearing watershed. Central to this consultation was the inherent difference between landscape reclamation and hydrologic restoration. In each, we present the EFH consultation process, conservation recommendations, and the role of science informing the overall management outcomes. This science-based practice supports core components of EBFM.