DIRECTOR'S FOREWORD

Humans have developed fisheries spanning entire oceans, and have the capability to overexploit the resources in any region within a very short time, as attested by numerous now-defunct fisheries. Therefore, a consensus is slowly emerging that management of fisheries, rather than focusing only on the amount of fishing effort deployed, also needs to be structured in space, with different ocean areas being targeted differently, and/or at different times, depending on the resources and habitat that they provide. In fact, ocean zoning is emerging as a major element of Ecosystem-Based (Fisheries) Management, because ecosystems are spatial entities.

Ecosystem-Based (Fisheries) Management implies, among other things, redirecting fishing effort away from previously fished areas to protect animals or habitats whose continued existence is considered crucial. For the eastern North Pacific ocean, the rookeries and haulouts of Steller sea lions and the feeding areas surrounding them provide a clear example of areas that need protection. The cost to the fisheries of closing such areas can be evaluated and balanced against the risk of damage to natural resources in the area. This cost will be some fraction of the value of the catch that could be made in the areas to be closed, its value depending on the extent to which substitute areas are available to the fishery. This report presents a spatial model of fleet operations through which such costs can be evaluated; as such, it is of interest to anyone interested in spatial management and marine protected areas.

Some colleagues claim not to know what Ecosystem-Based (Fisheries) Management means, or even that it does not mean anything concrete. This report shows what Ecosystem-Based (Fisheries) Management can mean, and it poses questions and proposes an approach for answering them that would not have seen the light of day when single-species approaches reigned. So, gradually, we are getting there.

Daniel Pauly, Director

UBC Fisheries Centre

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