Ecosystem Management: Implications for Fisheries Management

Abstract A panel of nine professional fish and wildlife scientists presented their views and exchanged ideas regarding ecosystem management during a symposium held in August 1995 at the American Fisheries Society's annual meeting in Tampa, Florida. The panelists agreed many fisheries resources are declining, and management efforts are not succeeding; natural resource management is increasing in complexity; and a change in management philosophy is needed. The panel agreed that ecosystem management is an evolution of management philosophy that focuses on local and large geographic scales, considers long-term temporal scales, and preserves biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems when making natural resource management decisions. They noted that the philosophy of ecosystem management considers human values and requires collaboration among government agencies, private property owners, and a wide array of stakeholders when making management decisions. The panel also identified a need for enhanced education ...