Departamento de Pesca y Acuicultura

The EAF method identifies and deals with all the positive and negative aspects associated with a fishery. This includes issues with little formal information and even issues generated from non-fishery sources (e.g. pollution, climate). The purpose of the EAF process is to develop and implement an integrated set of management arrangements for a fishery to generate more acceptable, sustainable and beneficial community outcomes.

The structure of the EAF planning and implementation process is comparable to that used for risk management systems (ISO 31000: 2009) which reflects that managing a fishery is just a specific application of risk management principles.

The EAF planning steps have been specifically developed to apply to the management of fisheries. Interactions between EAF and cross-sectoral, environmental planning (e.g. within EBM, LME, ICAM frameworks) are not specifically dealt with here, but the four main steps and even many of the tools will still be relevant to these broader planning processes.

The four main steps in the EAF planning process for fisheries are outlined below.

Step 1- Initiation and Scope

Based on government and stakeholder input generate an agreed and clear definition of the fishery (scale and type) plus a shared understanding of the social, economic and ecological objectives to be achieved.

Step 2 - Identification of Assets, Issues and Priorities

Identify all relevant resource ‘assets’, community outcomes and the issues affecting their management (generated either by the fishery or external factors) and determine priorities for direct action to best achieve objectives.

Step 3 - Development of Management System

Develop a management system to cost-effectively and holistically deal with all high priority issues that includes clear operational objectives and the ability to monitor and assess performance.

Step 4 - Implementation, Monitoring and Performance Review.

Document the actions to implement the management system, monitor their completion plus evaluate and report on their performance in delivering acceptable community outcomes.

  Procedure, pathway and timeline for EAF planning

 Critical Elements of EAF