2015 East Coast Forum

Risk-based Management and Management Strategy Evaluation

May 7-8, 2015 • Beaufort, NC

Final AgendaFinal Report

The purpose of the 2015 East Coast Forum was to build capacity among council members, council staff, and science advisors to support the effective treatment and communication of uncertainty, and to explore the concept and implementation of risk-based management approaches.

Forum objectives

  • Build awareness of regional and national efforts to advance the treatment of uncertainty in the federal fisheries management process

  • Discuss opportunities for improving communication about the sources and treatment of uncertainty across the science-policy interface

  • Examine risk-based management approaches for evaluating the sources and implications of uncertainty, and explicitly incorporating risk (the probability and severity of consequences) into decision-making

  • Explore the concept and application of Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) for simulating and evaluating the performance of management strategies under conditions of uncertainty, and consider the roles, responsibilities, and logistics of utilizing MSE within the council process

  • Reflect on the benefits and limitations of characterizing uncertainty, and discuss how strategic approaches to addressing uncertainty can promote robust and effective long-term management outcomes

Day 1: Responding to uncertainty through risk-based management

Uncertainty and risk

Addressing uncertainty in fisheries science and management

Eric Schwaab, Chief Conservation Officer, National Aquarium

PresentationVideo

Development of the New England Council’s Risk Policy

Lori Steele, Fishery Analyst, New England Fishery Management Council

PresentationVideo

Proposed revisions to the National Standard 1, 3, & 7 Guidelines

Wesley Patrick, Acting Branch Chief for Fisheries Policy, NOAA Fisheries Office of Sustainable Fisheries

PresentationVideo

Dealing with scientific uncertainty from stock assessments

Rick Methot, Senior Scientist for Stock Assessments, NOAA Fisheries

PresentationVideo

Tools for exploring and communicating uncertainty and risk

Use of decision tables by the Pacific Fishery Management Council

Michele Culver, Regional Director, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife; Pacific Fishery Management Council

Use of decision tables by the International Pacific Halibut Commission

Ian Stewart, Quantitative Scientist, International Pacific Halibut Commission

Developing a risk matrix for New England FMPs

Lori Steele, Fishery Analyst, New England Fishery Management Council

 

Presentations (combined)

Day 2: Management strategy evaluation

Introduction to management strategy evaluation (MSE) and regional examples

Management strategy evaluations: An overview

Jim Ianelli, Fisheries Biologist, NOAA Fisheries/Alaska Fisheries Science Center

PresentationVideo

Application of management strategy evaluations to data-poor fisheries and the summer flounder recreational fishery

John Wiedenmann, Assistant Research Professor, Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University

PresentationVideo

Management strategy evaluation on the East Coast

Mike Wilberg, Associate Professor, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

PresentationVideo

The International Pacific Halibut Commission’s management strategy evaluation process

Ian Stewart, Quantitative Scientist, International Pacific Halibut Commission

PresentationVideo

Management strategy evaluation for the Southern bluefin tuna fishery

Jim Ianelli, Fisheries Biologist, NOAA Fisheries/Alaska Fisheries Science Center

PresentationVideo