It is impossible to deny the role of stock assessments and simulations of harvest control rules in the increase of sustainable fisheries in the North Atlantic. Across the spectrum from data rich to data limited, new methods are being applied that further improve the evidence base for management. However, all fisheries are obliged to operate under the ecosystem approach (EA) and the narrative exists that traditional fisheries science does not equate with EA. Ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) requires an assessment of risk, and the trade-off between management objectives. Higher risk, requires stronger evidence. This talk will highlight how fisheries science, whether implicitly or explicitly, is contributing to EBFM and that in the highly fished North Atlantic, EBFM cannot be executed without strong stock assessments, forecasts and MSEs. It will also lay out some challenges ahead for fisheries science as fisheries management needs to deliver to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

1. P. Stock assessments-
the rock of EBFM.
Mark Dickey-Collas

2. Ecosystem-based fisheries management
2011 - Jennings & Rice impediments are:
• low specificity & incompatibility of environmental, social & economic objectives
• no agreed guidance on priority for trade-offs
• short term decision making in management
2023 - Craig & Link need:
• clear management objectives
• a receptive policy context amenable to trade-off evaluation
• integration within a collaborative management process
• best practice modelling
• early & iterative engagement among scientists, stakeholders & managers

3. Examples of stock assessments underpinning EBFM
• South African penguin/sardine Butterworth et al
• Atlantic menhaden Howell et al
• California sardine Wildermuth et al
• Irish sea Bentley et al
• Cod, redfish, shrimp Pérez-Rodríguez et al
and more….
See Plagányi 2007, Collie et al 2016, Ruiz‐Díaz 2022

4. ‘Ecosystem realism’ results in
better fisheries management?
Coping with dynamic ecosystems:
1. Use existing data & knowledge to derive risk
conditioning factors to condition management
advice on environmental change.
And/or
2. Review & update of management objectives,
reference levels & risk tolerances, so they remain
consistent with potential consequences from human
activity under changing biological, ecological &
socio-economic realities.
Roux et al 2022

5. Proportion stocks that account
for ecosystem trends & variability
Incorporated at least one way for:
73% data-rich stocks
55% of short-term forecasts
ICES tends to use option 1 from
Roux et al 2022.
Approach encouraged by implicit
mechanisms
Trenkel et al 2023. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14227
87% of stocks, 99% landing covered

6. How to measure progress & map EBFM progress
FAO EAF implementation monitoring tool https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cb3669en
Note tool also being used by Horizon project SEAwise https://seawiseproject.org/

7. FAO tool monitors implementation of management.
ICES is solely a knowledge provider, adapt approach…

8. Current inputs for EBFM from ICES
VMEs & EBSAs
Trawling on seabed
Bycatch PETS
Escapement rules
Conservation advice
Bycatch relevance
Ecosystem OVs
MSY via mixed fisheries,
variability of ecosystem,
pretty good yields.
Trade-off analysis
Feco
Data limited methods
Innovative fishing gears
Fishery OVs
Advice framework
& principles
Regionalisation
Data policy & QA
TAF & RDBES
Regular benchmarks
Stakeholder engagement
strategy
2 Ecological well-being
1 Ability to achieve 3 Services
Notable absence: holistic assessment of perturbation of ecosystem; ecosystem overfishing etc

9. Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
https://www.cbd.int/gbf/

10. Look familiar?
Reducing threats
Tools & solutions
People’s needs
Global Biodiversity
Framework

11. Conclusion
• Concept of ecosystem realism blurring recognition of effective &
existing contributions to EBFM from ICES fisheries science
• Whether implicitly or explicitly incorporated, EBFM cannot be
executed without credible stock assessments, forecasts & MSEs
• Time to change the narrative.