Global and national developments toward an ecosystem approach to fisheries management: an audit of the Grand Manan, New Brunswick groundfish gillnet fishery

Abstract

One of the most significant management challenges facing the Canadian fishing industry is meeting increasingly rigorous national and international standards. Balancing a broader suite of conservation, social and economic objectives in an ecosystem approach is a challenge faced by both harvesters and managers. This paper reviews and summarizes the foundations of an ecosystem approach for fisheries (EAF). It has consolidated and articulated the conservation, social and economic objectives that are required to be incorporated into fisheries management in order to be considered an EAF for Canadian fisheries. For the first time, a summary of what has been implemented in Canada was described and then compared to an EAF framework method being promoted by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Finally, an audit of an existing Canadian fisheries management plan was undertaken. This audit demonstrated that there have been positive steps made toward implementing an EAF for the Grand Manan Gillnet Fishery, however more work is required in order to meet the minimum requirements for an EAF as established in this work.