Tools for the IEAs of the future

Benjamin Planque, Institute of Marine Research, Tromsø, Norway

Contact: [email protected]

Integrated Ecosystem Assessments (IEAs) have emerged as a key scientific contribution to the implementation of Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM), yet challenges remain in translating IEA science into usable knowledge for management and policy. This can be explained, at least in part, by a mismatch between scientific outputs and the needs of management and policy, inadequate communication tools, and a lack of attention to the timescales relevant for management.

In this presentation, I will explore tools that can address these challenges and which may form part of the future IEA toolbox. Some of these tools already exist and others are under development.

These are:
Food-web assessment models
Ecosystem status summaries
IEA Explorers
IEA Oracles
Ecological forecasts
Horizon scanning
Foresights
Reporting structured around policy-management objectives

By broadening the scope of the science conducted, focusing more clearly on the future, explicitly considering management objectives, and diversifying communication with multiple partners, this future toolbox is set to advance the science that supports decision-making and improve the dialogue between scientists, managers, stakeholders and policymakers, ultimately improving the implementation of EBFM.