December 27, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries is committed to ecosystem-based management as our most powerful tool to maintain productive, resilient fisheries in a changing climate. This approach considers the entire ecosystem, including humans, to balance tradeoffs between ecological, social, and economic needs.
A new tool, the Ecosystem and Socioeconomic Profile (ESP), takes a significant step toward the application of ecosystem-based fisheries management. It facilitates the integration of ecosystem and socioeconomic information into fisheries management decisions. This rapid communication tool distills information from a variety of sources into a succinct, focused report to help resource managers in their decision-making. Developed in Alaska, it is being adapted and adopted across the nation.
“The ESP gives managers a streamlined version of what affects each fish stock. It provides a means to get a broad range of information—from articles, workshops, citizen science, traditional indigenous knowledge—into one place,” said NOAA Fisheries biologist Kalei Shotwell, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, who initiated the development of the ESP. “It moves us toward ecosystem-based fisheries management. That’s the ultimate goal.”