Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management: Planning & Activities

Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem-Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management:Based Fisheries Management:

Planning & ActivitiesPlanning & Activities

February 2004

Chesapeake Bay Program “C2K” GOAL

C2K Commitments:

• By 2005, Develop Multi-species FMPs

• By 2007, Implement Multi-species FMPs & Ecosystem Approach to Management

Living Resources Protection and Restoration“Restore, enhance and protect the finfish, shellfish and other living resources, their habitats and ecological relationships to sustain all fisheries and provide for a balanced ecosystem.”

Courtesy E. Houde

Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline

Multispecies background & Multispecies background & management process to datemanagement process to date

Fisheries Ecosystem Plan – status and Fisheries Ecosystem Plan – status and processprocess

CBP 2000 commitments for fisheries CBP 2000 commitments for fisheries management – general planmanagement – general plan

Open Discussion – NO Action needed Open Discussion – NO Action needed today!today!

““Prospects for Multispecies Fisheries Prospects for Multispecies Fisheries Management in Chesapeake Bay”Management in Chesapeake Bay”

Fishery-independent Fishery-independent surveyssurveys

Predator-prey Predator-prey relationshipsrelationships

Multispecies Multispecies assessments & modelsassessments & models

Evaluate estuarine Evaluate estuarine habitats and the potential habitats and the potential value of protected areasvalue of protected areas

Incorporate multispecies Incorporate multispecies and ecosystem models and ecosystem models as management toolsas management tools

““Ecosystem-Based Fishery Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management”Management”

Assess the extent to Assess the extent to which ecosystem which ecosystem principles are applied principles are applied and recommend how and recommend how best to incorporate into best to incorporate into future managementfuture management

Develop a Fisheries Develop a Fisheries Ecosystem Plan (FEP)Ecosystem Plan (FEP)

Fishery Management in Fishery Management in Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay

Example

Management Management JurisdictionsJurisdictions

Current Management Process

Menhaden

Striped Bass

Bluefish

Weakfish

Future Management Process

Bay Anchovy

Large Zooplankton

Menhaden

Spot/Croaker

Striped Bass

Bluefish

Weakfish

Fisheries Ecosystem Plan - GOALFisheries Ecosystem Plan - GOAL

• • The FEP will serve as an umbrella document to The FEP will serve as an umbrella document to support ecosystem-based fishery management support ecosystem-based fishery management approaches in Chesapeake Bay. approaches in Chesapeake Bay.

• • It will recommend actions to implement such It will recommend actions to implement such approaches for Bay-resident and coastal species. approaches for Bay-resident and coastal species.

• • It will recommend research to enhance It will recommend research to enhance knowledge of the ecosystem and its fisheries in knowledge of the ecosystem and its fisheries in support of long-term management objectives.support of long-term management objectives.

FEP Technical Advisory Panel FEP Technical Advisory Panel – multi-institutional; Baywidemulti-institutional; Baywide– Experts in various fields (statistics, ecology, fisheries, Experts in various fields (statistics, ecology, fisheries,

economics, etc)economics, etc)

Full document underwent an internal panel reviewFull document underwent an internal panel review

STAC reviewSTAC review

Comments incorporated and sent to editor for final layoutComments incorporated and sent to editor for final layout

Layout ~complete - will have preliminary publication at Layout ~complete - will have preliminary publication at Fisheries Research Symposium (February 25-26, 2004)Fisheries Research Symposium (February 25-26, 2004)

Final publication as American Fisheries Society PublicationFinal publication as American Fisheries Society Publication

FEP STATUS

Is it Practical and Feasible?

To the extent possible, the FEP must be compatible with the broader goals of the Chesapeake Bay Program

The FEP is meant to be a practical plan. It strives to build on present FMPs and institutional structures.

As such, it allows immediate implementation of some recommended actions in FMP amendments and incremental implementation of actions requiring policy decisions or further research

Courtesy E. Houde

Request endorsement by CBP

Recommend near-term actions to be taken by FMPC-WG

Develop a long-term plan for broader implementation(link with ASMFC Implementation Plan?)

Coordinate planning and actions with Bay and regional jurisdictions (institutions and agencies)

Seek Endorsement and Implementation

Ecosystem-based Management Ecosystem-based Management Plan DevelopmentPlan Development

Fisheries Steering Committee has identified target species (Atlantic menhaden, striped bass, blue crab, oyster, and alosa)

General format/outline for plans to follow based upon ‘Developing Ecosystem-based FMP’ section of FEP

Plan Development Teams being developed

FEP

Ecosystem Modeling

(EwE, MSVPA)

Multiple-species Monitoring

(CHESFIMS, ChesMMAP)

Fisheries SteeringCommittee

(FMP Development)

Research(Fisheries ResearchProgram, Oxford,

SeaGrant)

UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to

get better. It's not." The Lorax is an ecological warning that

still rings true today amidst the dangers of clear-cutting, pollution, and disregard for the earth's environment.

The now remorseful Once-ler tells the story himself: long ago this enterprising villain chances upon a place filled with wondrous Truffula Trees, Swomee-Swans, Brown Bar-ba-loots, and Humming-Fishes. Bewitched by the beauty of the Truffula Tree tufts, he greedily chops them down to produce and mass-market Thneeds. As the trees swiftly disappear and the denizens leave for greener pastures, the fuzzy yellow Lorax (who speaks for the trees "for the trees have no tongues") repeatedly warns the Once-ler, but his words of wisdom are for naught. Finally the Lorax extricates himself from the scorched earth, leaving only a rock engraved "UNLESS."

The Once-ler has saved a single Truffula Tree seed! Our fate now rests in the hands of a caring child, who becomes our last chance for a clean, green future.