Drs. William Karp and Richard Merrick

Transcription

1 Management of living marine resources and conservation of biodiversity. Can International cooperation make a difference? Drs. William Karp and Richard Merrick NOAA Fisheries

2 The Issue Worldwide, the fraction of fully exploited fish stocks increased to 57% in 2009 (FAO 2012). About 30% of stocks are overexploited, producing lower yields than their biological and ecological potential and in need of strict management plans to restore their full and sustainable productivity. The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation that resulted from the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002), requires that all overexploited stocks be restored to the level that can produce maximum sustainable yield by 2015 (FAO 2012).

3 Some countries are improving the sustainability of their marine resources In the US, 67% of all stocks are now being sustainably harvested, while only 17% are still overexploited (FAO 2012). In New Zealand, 69% of stocks are above management targets. Australia reports overfishing for only 12% of stocks in Effective management measures, such as discard bans, implemented in Norway and planned for EU Are the lessons learned by these developed countries applicable elsewhere?

4 The US Path to Sustainable Resource Management Legislative framework provided by National Environmental Policy Act Magnusson Stevens Act (Sustainable Fisheries Act) Marine Mammal Protection Act Endangered Species Act

5 Key Components of US Sustainable Resource Management Science based decision making including both biological and socio-economic components A strong governance structure for decision making Effective enforcement of management plans includes catch and bycatch accounting/monitoring and compliance

6 NOAA is working to encourage and support sustainable fisheries management internationally Our goal is to: Ensure that we a support RFMOs and international organizations Obtain necessary data regarding shared stocks and protected resources; and Contribute to the conservation of living marine resources internationally.

7 Building Scientific Capabilities NOAA is improving international science through Development of an International Science Strategic Plan to coordinate our international scientific engagements Providing direct stock assessment assistance to RFMOs Provision of scientific and technical support to Global Environment Facility funded LME projects Importance of bilateral agreements for improving science - a two-way process

8 Improving Governance NOAA managers are working to improve international resource management in a variety of ways: Promote ecosystem-based fisheries management Control fishing capacity Combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing Strengthen regional fisheries management organizations Increase assistance to developing states (capacity building)

9 Some Successes Stock Assessments of Highly Migratory Species in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans NOAA scientists provide key stock assessment skills with RFMOs responsible for management of tunas and sharks in both Oceans Bycatch Reduction NOAA scientists and managers from have provided advice on turtle bycatch reduction in shrimp trawl and pelagic longline fisheries worldwide Fishery Monitoring NOAA provides training and assistance with infrastructure development in West Africa

10 Are the lessons learned by these developed countries applicable elsewhere? Approaches employed in developed/industrialized countries are often expensive and require sophisticated infrastructure Some lessons learned are transferable but not all Principles of EAFM are broadly applicable but implementation will depend on scale of fisheries, cultural and economic factors, etc. Need for capacity building and encouraging development of local/regional solutions (eg Nansen Project, Coral Triangle Initiative)

11 XI-XV How to Implement Marine Resource Management There is no manual for what we are attempting!