Reservoir fisheries in India

Following an account of factors influencing the biological productivity of reservoirs in India, details are given of energy transformation through primary production. An ecosystem approach to the management of reservoir fisheries is discussed, considering also socio-economic factors to be taken into account.

Report of the BOBLME Regional Fisheries Management Advisory Committee, Bangkok, Thailand, 25-26 June, 2012

The BOBLME Project supports member countries to produce fishery management plans for hilsa and Indian Mackerel using an ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAFM). The EAFM has three tiers: technical studies to provide information; a Regional Fisheries Management Committee (RFMAC) to interpret the information and deliver ecosystem based fisheries management advice; and a Regional Fisheries Management Forum to deliberate on the advice as it relates to national actions.

Report of the sub-regional workshop to validate the scoping study of nutrient pollution on the coastal and marine systems of South Asia, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21-22 May, 2014

The workshop agenda included: presentations from collaborative institutions, national governments and resource persons; a draft scoping study on nutrient loading; and an ecosystem approach to pollution management was tested.

Report of the essential EAFM training course, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 12-20 November, 2014

Participants were exposed to concepts and information about Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) using a structured, participatory method of delivery. The learning strategy involved specifically designed exercises, using real examples, to consolidate learning. Daily monitoring and reviews were conducted together with pre-and post-course assessment.

Report of the BOBLME Regional Fisheries Management Advisory Committee, Bangkok, Thailand, 25-26 June, 2012

The role of the Regional Fisheries Management Advisory Committee (RFMAC) is to interpret information and deliver ecosystem based fisheries management advice. The meeting was able to deliver Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) advisories for the hilsa and Indian Mackerel fisheries.

Report of the pilot Essential EAFM course, Samut Prakan, Thailand, 20-25 January, 2014

This course, co-hosted by South East Asian Fisheries Development Centre (SEAFDEC), was a refined version of the pilot course held in Malaysia in June 2013. Participants were exposed to concepts and information about Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) using a structured, participatory method of delivery. The learning strategy involved specifically designed exercises, using real examples, to consolidate learning. Daily monitoring and reviews were conducted together with pre-and post-course assessment.

The effect of ecological changes in Lake Victoria on the present trophic characteristics of Oreochromis niloticus in relation to the species' role as a stabilizing factor of biomanipulation

The Lake Victoria ecosystem has experienced such a profound ecological change that Oreochromis niloticus - an introduced species, is the only important cichlid (out of the original 250 + spp) left in the lake. It is the basis of an important commercial fishery which is intensely exploited by sophisticated methods. An investigation of its feeding habits at present indicates that the species could also playa major role in the energy flux of the lake. Fisheries management in Lake Victoria will thus require multi-disciplinary studies which reflect a total ecosystem approach.

Report of the multi-stakeholder consultation workshop for developing a draft plan for the implementation of "Ecosystem Health Card approach for Chilika Lake", 13 September, [2013], Odisha, India

The Chilika Health report Card is based on three categories: water quality, fisheries and biodiversity.

Panel discussion: U.S. EPA using modeling and ecosystem services to enhance coastal decision making

This panel will discuss the research being conducted, and the models being used in three current coastal EPA studies being conducted on ecosystem services in Tampa Bay, the Chesapeake Bay and the Coastal Carolinas. These studies are intended to provide a broader and more comprehensive approach to policy and decision-making affecting coastal ecosystems as well as provide an account of valued services that have heretofore been largely unrecognized. Interim research products, including updated and integrated spatial data, models and model frameworks, and interactive decision support systems will be demonstrated to engage potential users and to elicit feedback. It is anticipated that the near-term impact of the projects will be to increase the awareness by coastal communities and coastal managers of the implications of their actions and to foster partnerships for ecosystem services research and applications. (PDF contains 4 pages)

Coastal resource planning system: Integrating evaluation of ecological integrity and ecosystem services valuation

Efficient and effective coastal management decisions rely on knowledge of the impact of human activities on ecosystem integrity, vulnerable species, and valued ecosystem services—collectively, human impact on environmental quality (EQ). Ecosystem-based management (EBM) is an emerging approach to address the dynamics and complexities of coupled social-ecological systems. EBM “is intended to directly address the long-term sustainable delivery of ecosystem services and the resilience of marine ecosystems to perturbations” (Rosenberg and Sandifer, 2009). The lack of a tool that integrates human choices with the ecological connections between contributing watersheds and nearshore areas, and that incorporates valuation of ecosystem services, is a critical missing piece needed for effective and efficient coastal management. To address the need for an integrative tool for evaluation of human impacts on ecosystems and their services, Battelle developed the EcoVal™ Environmental Quality Evaluation System. The EcoVal system is an updated (2009) version of the EQ Evaluation System for Water Resources developed by Battelle for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Dee et al., 1972). The Battelle EQ evaluation system has a thirty-year history of providing a standard approach to evaluate watershed EQ. This paper describes the conceptual approach and methodology of the updated EcoVal system and its potential application to coastal ecosystems. (PDF contains 4 pages)

Towards integrated island management: lessons from Lau, Malaita, for the implementation of a national approach to resource management in Solomon Islands: final report

Solomon Islands has recently developed substantial policy aiming to support inshore fisheries management, conservation, climate change adaptation and ecosystem approaches to resource management. A large body of experience in community based approaches to management has developed but “upscaling” and particularly the implementation of nation-wide approaches has received little attention so far. With the emerging challenges posed by climate change and the need for ecosystem wide and integrated approaches attracting serious donor attention, a national debate on the most effective approaches to implementation is urgently needed. This report discusses potential implementation of “a cost-effective and integrated approach to resource management that is consistent with national policy and needs” based on a review of current policy and institutional structures and examination of a recent case study from Lau, Malaita using stakeholder, transaction and financial cost analyses.

Prey preference of lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus), a top marine predator: implications for ecosystem-based fisheries management

Many highly exploited ecosystems are managed on the basis of single-species demographic information. This management approach can exacerbate tensions among stakeholders with competing interests who in turn rely on data with notoriously high variance. In this case study, an application of diet and dive survey data was used to describe the prey preference of lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) in a predictive framework on nearshore reefs off Oregon. The lingcod is a large, fast-growing generalist predator of invertebrates and fishes. In response to concerns that lingcod may significantly reduce diminished populations of rockfishes (Sebastes spp.), the diets of 375 lingcod on nearshore reefs along the Oregon Coast were compared with estimates of relative prey availability from dive surveys. In contrast to the transient pelagic fishes that comprised 46% of lingcod diet by number, rockfishes comprised at most 4.7% of prey items. Rockfishes were the most abundant potential prey observed in dive surveys, yet they were the least preferred. Ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) requires information about primary trophic relationships, as well as relative abundance and distribution data for multiple species. This study shows that, at a minimum, predation relative to prey availability must be considered before predator effects can be understood in a management context.