The project consists of two interdependent components.

The first component is aimed at developing tools and methodologies to facilitate the implementation of EAF by fisheries agencies. Specific objectives of this component are:

• to evaluate and, where possible, enhance the different modelling tools for assessing indirect interactions (i.e. predominantly through the food web) and their impacts on the state of stocks and community dynamics. Particular attention is given to tools for assessing and managing multispecies fisheries in ecosystems of high species diversity and severely limited data availability.


• to develop training tools for capacity building in EAF, with an emphasis on identifying and reconciling operational objectives in an ecosystem, with particular emphasis on biological and ecological objectives.

The second component consists of applications of the tools and methods by means of direct assistance to countries through missions, technical workshops and training courses.

Making use of the tools and methods developed in the first component, the project has been promoting the development of capacity of fisheries agencies and interested parties, at national and regional level, in synthesizing the available information on ecosystem composition and functioning, assessing the primary interactions in the food web, including with marine mammals and the direct interactions brought about by the fisheries in the ecosystem (the technical interactions). With this knowledge, participants are shown how to identify the broad objectives for the range of fisheries, evaluate the conflicts between them, and provide advice to managers and decision-makers on reconciling the differences to achieve a set of feasible and attainable operational objectives.