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Why and How Could Indicators Be Used in an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management?

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The Future of Fisheries Science in North America

Part of the book series: Fish & Fisheries Series ((FIFI,volume 31))

Fishery papers on ecosystem indicators, or ecological indicators, have flourished over the last 10 years, and many were justified by referring to the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF). However, the reason(s) why indicators are relevant to an EAF are not always clear. Still less clear is the way(s) indicators might be used to give management advice in the context of an EAF.

In this chapter we recount the emergence of the indicator concept in the EAF context. The concept being overloaded with too many roles and interpretations, we propose to split it into three separate categories fulfilling the functions of control, audit, and communication. The research needed to make these indicator variants operational is largely interdisciplinary.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département Ecologie et Modèles pour l'Halieutique, IFREMER, B.P. 21105 44311, Nantes Cedex 03, France

    Marie-Joëlle Rochet & Verena M. Trenkel

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  1. Marie-Joëlle Rochet
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  2. Verena M. Trenkel
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Correspondence to Marie-Joëlle Rochet .

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  1. Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, 3190 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo B.C., V9T 6N7, Canada

    Richard J. Beamish

  2. School for Marine Science and Technology, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, 706 South Rodney French Boulevard, New Bedford, MA, 02744-1221, USA

    Brian J. Rothschild

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Rochet, MJ., Trenkel, V.M. (2009). Why and How Could Indicators Be Used in an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management?. In: Beamish, R.J., Rothschild, B.J. (eds) The Future of Fisheries Science in North America. Fish & Fisheries Series, vol 31. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9210-7_12

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