Developing Tools for an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries in the Southern Benguela Marine Social-Ecological System: An Overview

The marine pelagic social-ecological system in the southern Benguela, which supports important forage fisheries, has been undergoing both human-induced and environmentally-induced long-term, system-scale changes. While people have learnt to adapt to the high interannual variability in the natural system, the effects of long-term changes have largely been detrimental, and have led to a stressed social-ecological system particularly on SA’s west coast. An integrated approach to marine social-ecological systems requires collaboration across a wide range of stakeholders, and we explore the possibilities for collaborative research and management programmes. We provide an overview of methodology developed in support of an EAF in the southern Benguela, including (i) mediated modelling of the links between small pelagic fisheries and a dependent predator, African penguins, whose breeding colonies support ecotourism, (ii) ecosystem modelling for management strategy evaluation including system-scale changes, and (iiii) ecosystem indicators and their combined evaluation in decision trees and expert systems. Focussing on long-term collaboration between universities, the relevant government departments and NGOs, we reflect on social learning in the fisheries and conservation management systems towards an integrated approach to management of human activities in the southern Benguela.