International Governance Of Fisheries Ecosystems

Fisheries experts increasingly acknowledge the importance of globalization on local, national, and international fisheries. This book brings together fisheries and governance experts from across the globe who present case studies on a broad spectrum of the internationally shared fisheries that inhabit diverse freshwater and marine ecosystem types. Case studies provide the biological background of the fisheries resource, including status and threats to the resource and its ecosystem. The case studies review the evolution and current governance institutions of the fisheries resource, with particular focus on international or global institutions. Each study concludes with an evaluation of the effectiveness of the current fisheries governance institutions, and recommendations for change.

An interdisciplinary survey addressing the problems of overfishing worldwide, and the best way forward toward good ecological practice and global cooperative governance.

Governance of Marine Fisheries and Biodiversity Conservationexplores governance of the world’s oceans with a focus on theimpacts of two inter-connected but historically separate streams ofgovernance: one for fisheries, the other for biodiversityconservation. Chapters, most co-authored by leading expertsfrom both streams, investigate the interaction of these governancestreams from ecological, economic, social and legal perspectives,with emphasis on policies, institutions processes, and outcomes onscales from the global to the local community, and with coverage ofa range of themes and regions of the world. The book opens with chapters setting the historical context for thetwo marine governance streams, and framing the book’sexploration of whether, as the streams increasingly interact, therewill be merger or collision, convergence or co-evolution. Theconcluding chapter synthesizes the insights from throughout thebook, relative to the questions posed in the openingchapters. It also draws conclusions about future needs anddirections in the governance of marine fisheries and biodiversity,vital to the future of the world’s oceans. With cutting edge chapters written by many leading internationalexperts in fisheries management and biodiversity conservation, andedited by three leading figures in this crucially importantsubject, Governance of Marine Fisheries and BiodiversityConservation is an essential purchase for fisheries scientists,economists, resource managers and policymakers, and all thoseworking in fields of biodiversity conservation, marine ecology, andcoastal livelihoods. Libraries in all universities and researchestablishments where environmental and/or marine studies,conservation, ocean policy and law, biological and life sciences,and fisheries management are studied and taught, should have copiesof this most important book.

"Sustainable use of aquatic ecosystems is high on regional, national and international agendas and central to the implementation of international agreements on biological diversity, responsible fisheries and fish stock management. Since 2001, when political commitments were made to implement the ecosystem approach, countries have begun to incorporate ecosystem considerations into their fisheries management and have met with varied success." "The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries covers both theoretical andapplied aspects of sustainable management, with a particular emphasis on reviewing concepts and addressing implementation issues in the form of case studies from around the world. Personal experiences are considered from diverse backgrounds and discuss the constraints encountered, strategies identified and best practices to facilitate further implementation."--BOOK JACKET.

The central message of the book is that stakeholder participation in the governance of fisheries is beneficial, but confers responsibilities as well as rights: all stakeholders have a public duty to act as stewards of the marine environment. With chapters by leading scholars and participants in fisheries governance, this book recounts contemporary techniques of public participation, and develops a new concept of environmental stewardship as a form of fisheries governance.

Ecosystems are complex and dynamic natural units that produce goods and services beyond those of benefit to fisheries. Because fisheries have a direct impact on the ecosystem, which is also impacted by other human activities, they need to be managed in an ecosystem context. The meaning of the terms "ecosystem management", "ecosystem-based management", "ecosystem approach to fisheries" (EAF), etc., are still not universally defined and progressively evolving. The justification of EAF is evident in the characteristics of an exploited ecosystem and the impacts resulting from fisheries and other activities. The rich set of international agreements of relevance to EAF contains a large number of principles and conceptual objectives. Both provide a fundamental guidance and a significant challenge for the implementation of EAF. The available international instruments also provide the institutional foundations for EAF. The FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries is particularly important in this respect and contains provisions for practically all aspects of the approach. One major difficulty in defining EAF lies precisely in turning the available concepts and principles into operational objectives from which an EAF management plan would more easily be developed. The paper discusses these together with the types of action needed to achieve them. Experience in EAF implementation is still limited but some issues are already apparent,e.g. in added complexity, insufficient capacity, slow implementation, need for a pragmatic approach, etc. It is argued, in conclusion, that the future of EAF and fisheries depends on the way in which the two fundamental concepts of fisheries management and ecosystem management, and their respective stakeholders, will join efforts or collide.

This book highlights the economic and policy aspects of adapting fisheries to climate change, including strengthening global governance; a broader use of rights-based management; ecosystem protection; the ending of environmental harmful subsidies and use of aquaculture.