Extraction of resources from nature has an inevitable ripple effect. Managers, policymakers, scientists, and communities aim to reduce pressures on the system to sustain natural resources long-term. But the ultimate question remains - how much pressure is too much pressure? An expert Working Group on Benchmarks for Ecosystem Assessment was assembled with policymakers, scientists, and managers from various regions – Alaska, U.S., southeast Australia, central Chile, and southwest India – to explore how to move from ecosystem approaches in fisheries management (EAFM) to ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM).
Collaborators in each country worked together to test the accuracy of indicators for ecosystem structure and function across a range of ecological and management contexts. Their results provide a practical roadmap for how countries can modify current management strategies from EAFM to EBFM. While methods were applied in a fisheries management setting, these concepts are transferable to a wide variety of management jurisdictions seeking to integrate stronger ecosystem approaches, including climate adaptation, protected species management, and habitat conservation.