1 Practical Recommendations for Improving the Use of Science in Marine Fisheries Management

ABSTRACT: The fundamental problem addressed in this paper is that the present Regional Fishery Management Council (RFMC) system does not provide a consistent and formalized mechanism to ensure that the best available scientific advice is used appropriately, and not overruled for economic, social or other reasons. We provide a variety of practical suggestions for overcoming this limitation. Key recommendations include the following: 1) Council members should be appointed from more diverse slates of nominees provided by governors, provided comprehensive training, and the Councils should not be allowed to change or exceed ABC levels determined by their SSC. 2) NOAA and Councils should aggressively embrace and implement an ecosystem approach to fisheries, taking a broad view that includes regional ecosystem delineation, ecosystem impacts of fishing, and development of regional information systems. 3) Councils should routinely implement common-sense precaution in day-to-day operations of Council fishery management activities, and several examples of such precautionary actions are provided. 4) SSCs should be strengthened to become the primary source of and clearinghouse for scientific information and vet all scientific information used by the Council; such strengthening should includ