Posted on July, 31 2002

Sydney, Australia - WWF-Australia has led the development of a comprehensive global policy paper outlining a clear direction and nine key actions to achieve improved management of marine capture fisheries while preventing further loss of and decline in the health of marine ecosystems. The new paper, which took almost a year to research and write, guides fisheries managers around the world in restructuring fisheries management to address such issues as conserving migratory fish stocks, avoiding damaging the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities and controlling illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The report lists nine key actions that WWF is committed to developing with commercial fisheries throughout the world. These include an ecological audit of major global fisheries, designing and implementing a fully-protected reserve system, developing and guiding a process of global restructuring in fisheries and establishing a series of case studies that will demonstrate the effectiveness of Ecosystem-Based Management for fisheries. "We have researched and explored the concept and application of ecosystem-based management in detail and defined achievable objects and targets," said Katherine Short, WWF-Australia's Fisheries Officer, who developed the technical paper in conjunction with marine ecologist Dr Trevor Ward from the University of Western Australia and Diane Tarte and Eddie Hegerl, two international marine policy specialists based in Brisbane. "With careful management and the use of well-designed fishing gear, areas of the world's oceans that are fished may still contribute much to the conservation of marine ecosystems," added Ms Short. "If fishing is carefully monitored and controlled, habitats and species that occur in commercial fishing grounds can still be maintained." "At present we are managing fish stocks as individual stocks not as parts of the wider marine ecosystem. When we manage a target species such as Orange Roughy, that can live up to 170 years, for maximum productivity as a commodity in itself, we reduce it to a theoretical productive level. This paper asks what happens to the fish and other species that used to eat all those fish that are now removed through fishing?" Marine capture fisheries include all commercial fisheries operating in the oceans. The principles of Ecosystem-Based Management for marine fisheries, as outlined in the new WWF report, involves maintaining the health, biodiversity and structure of marine ecosystems as well as recognising relevant economic, cultural and social interests. A key factor is the provision of information on exploited marine species to ensure over-harvesting is controlled and genetic diversity is maintained. "The new WWF policy paper will be of interest not just to commercial fisheries but to all who have a vital concern for the future health of the world's oceans," said Dr Trevor Ward, the leading marine ecological expert in the team. "In such a highly complex arena as fisheries, ecosystem-based management has been identified as a management approach that is likely to succeed where many other initiatives have failed." Dr Simon Cripps, Director of WWF International's Endangered Seas Programme described the policy paper as "a great achievement of global significance for the future of fisheries." The paper was peer reviewed by Dr Stephen Hall, Director of the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences and Dr Andrew Rosenberg, Dean, College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, New Hampshire, formerly the Deputy Director of the US National Marine Fisheries Service. The report was greatly strengthened by the expert input of many of WWF's global Marine Advisory Group with contributions coming from the North East Atlantic, New Zealand, UK, Spain, Hong Kong and United States. For further information: Rosslyn Beeby WWF-Australia Media Tel: +61 2 9281 5515 or +61 419 520 960 The authors of the paper: Katherine Short has been a member of the WWF International Marine Advisory Group for over 5 years and is currently based in Sydney working with WWF Australia to promote healthy and well-managed fisheries. A science graduate from the University of Wellington, she began working for WWF New Zealand in 1996 as Assistant Conservation Scientist. She has given over 100 presentations on healthy fisheries to the industry, management and science communities in Australia, New Zealand and the US in the past 3 years and has contributed chapters on fisheries eco-labelling to a new Blackwell science publication. Dr Trevor Ward is a marine ecologist and ecosystems consultant based at the University of Western Australia in Perth. He has more than 25 years of marine ecological research experience in tropical and temperate habitats. Diane Tarte and Eddie Hegerl are marine ecosystem consultants and the Directors of Marine Ecosystem Policy Advisors, based in Queensland Australia. Both have extensive international experience in marine ecosystem policy development, particularly for coral reefs and tidal wetlands ecosystems.