BOBLME-2009-REG-5.0-IWS-06
The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries
Management
The Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem Project

Sustainable development
"Development which meets the needs
of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs"
Brundtland report 1987
"Development" = improving human
well-being (both social and
economic)
The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) is a
way of achieving sustainable development
Sustainable Development (EAF)
Ecological
Human
Governance
well-being
well-being
- ability to achieve -

Earth Summit in Rio in 1992
Convention on Biological Diversity
defined the ecosystem approach as:
"A strategy for the integrated
management of land, water and living
resources that promotes conservation
and sustainable use in an equitable way."
Integrated management to
promote sustainable
development

Ecosystem Approach to
Fisheries
FAO definition (simplified)
"Integrated approach to fisheries to balance
diverse societal objectives, within
ecologically meaningful boundaries
Integrated management of fisheries
to promote sustainable development

FAO Code of Conduct for
Responsible Fisheries
Fishery resources
· Maintain resources for present and future
generations
· Prevent overfishing and excess fishing
capacity
­ Commensurate with productive capacity
· Base management on best social,
economic and ecological information
­ Traditional knowledge
· Apply precautionary approach
­ Don't wait for perfect knowledge
· Right to just livelihood, particularly those
engaged in artisanal small-scale fisheries

FAO Code of Conduct for
Responsible Fisheries
Ecosystems
· Manage not only target species
­ also species belonging to same ecosystem
· Consultation and participation of all
stakeholders
­ Not just the fishery sector
· Protect and rehabilitate critical habitats
· Ensure fishery interests are integrated into
multiple use of coastal zones
· Others ­ pollution/coastal development

CCRF - provides key operational
principles of the EAF
· Apply the precautionary
approach
· Ensure compatibility of
management measures
(across jurisdictions)
· Broaden stakeholder
participation
· Use incentives
· Promote sectoral integration

What is ecosystem approach
in the fisheries context?
· Integrated management system that
promotes sustainable development
­ Balance between human well-being and
ecological well-being
· Integrated management focus includes all
important aspects of an ecosystem and
different activities that impact
­ Humans
­ Habitats
­ Fisheries resources (both target spp and
associated spp)
­ Vulnerable plants and animals
­ Harvesting, polluting, degrading habitats etc
· Many "approaches"
­ All developed in parallel by different groups but
all have same aim

The many approaches to ecosystem management
· Integrated Coastal Management (ICM)
· Coastal Zone Management (CZM)
· Integrated coastal resource management (ICRM)
· Integrated Coastal Area Management (ICAM)
· Large Marine Ecosystem management (LME)
· Ecosystem-based management (EBFM)
· Wealth-based fisheries management (WBFM)
· Sustainable livelihoods approach (SLA)
· Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF)

Practical application of the
Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF)
Sustainable Development (EAF)
Ecological
Human
Governance
well-being
well-being
- ability to achieve -

Linking EAF to the
Bay of Bengal LME programme
"To establish a
Strategic Action
Programme to protect
the health of the
Bangladesh
ecosystem and manage
the living resources of
India
Myanmar
the Bay of Bengal on a
sustainable basis, to
improve the food and
Thailand
livelihood security of
Sri Lanka
Malaysia
the region's coastal
population"
Maldives
Indonesia

BOBLME Project has five components
Development of a SAP
Resource management
Understanding the environment
Ecosystem health
Communications

Linking EAF to the Bay of Bengal LME programme
Ecological well-being
· Sustainability of major shared
fisheries resource
· Critical habitats, MPA's
· Pollution reduction
· Understanding environment,
health indicators

Linking EAF to the Bay of Bengal LME programme
Human well-being
· Community-based fisheries and habitat
management
· Alternative / sustainable Livelihoods
· Resilience

Linking EAF to the Bay of Bengal LME programme
Governance
- ability to achieve -
· Institutions
­ National government
­ Fisheries agency
­ Environment agency National government
­ Regional collaboration
· Multi-sectoral involvement
· Policy harmonization


The BOBLME is your
opportunity to implement
the EAF in the Bay of
Bengal!
Thank you