Application of Ecosystem Models for Strategic Management Purposes on the U.S. West Coast

Multiple mandates and frameworks have led to recent implementation of some facets of ecosystem-based fishery management on the U.S. West Coast.   Examples include a Fishery Ecosystem Plan, a renewed research and management focus on forage fish, NOAA’s Integrated Ecosystem Assessment, and novel approaches to Environmental Impact Statements.  Ecosystem modeling is one strategic tool that can be used in these contexts to evaluate trade-offs, rank performance of fisheries policies, and test impacts of environmental and climate drivers as well as fishing.  I present two recent applications of an Atlantis ecosystem model for the West Coast. The first is taken from a recent Environmental Impact Statement, in which ecosystem modeling was used to understand food web implications of groundfish harvest. The second example is from the Integrated Ecosystem Assessment, in which one analysis tested the implications of catch shares on fleet effort, catch, bycatch, and revenue.  Finally, I will discuss best practices that are being adopted for such models, including multi-model approaches and review by fishery management committees and external experts. Overall, the trend has justifiably been toward gradual application of these tools to fill gaps for management needs, rather than to replace existing tactical tools such as stock assessment.