Large quantities of scientific information are routinely produced annually by governmental and non-governmental organizations that are intended to guide fisheries policy- and decision-making. Yet outputs using these data are often specific to one aspect, for example, an assessment of an individual fish population, the selectivity parameters of a specific fishing gear or the level of bycatch of a sensitive species. In contrast, fisheries managers are tasked with the overarching management of fishing to meet broadly defined environmental, social and economic objectives. This requires drawing on, interpreting, and acting on a wide range of scientific advice to operationally manage fisheries and protect the marine environment, at a time when the environment is undergoing significant change and being impacted beyond previous experience.
This theme session explores the demand for more integration of marine and fisheries science advice across disciplines to provide managers with operational advice to meet broader objectives. We challenge whether managers should be asking for more holistic advice; and we invite examples of integrated operational fisheries science advice provided in response to broad management questions.
We are looking for contributions in the following areas:
- Integrated monitoring and data collection
- Combining existing data sources to generate integrated operational science advice
- Systems approaches to practical marine and fisheries management
- Methods of evidence integration and evaluation
We are also interested in identifying challenges to this approach, for example, maintaining the independence of advisers and science, the cumulative uncertainty when combining evidence, and ensuring that it is the managers who make the decisions based on the best available information and data.
