Fisheries management. 2. The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries
These guidelines have been produced to supplement the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The Code and many international agreements and conferences highlight the many benefits that can be achieved by adopting an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) and elaborate a number of agreed principles and concepts relating to EAF. These guidelines attempt to make EAF operational by recognizing that this approach is a way to implement many of the provisions of the Code and achieve sustainable development in a fisheries context. They provide guidance on how to translate the economic, social and ecological policy goals and aspirations of sustainable development into operational objectives, indicators and performance measures. They are not seen as a replacement for, but rather an extension of, current fisheries management practices that need to be broadened to take into account the biotic, abiotic and human components of ecosystems in which fisheries operate.
Access the Technical Guidelines, here.