14. An Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries for Large Pelagic Fish Resources in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem

Abstract

Large pelagic fish resources, such as tuna and wahoo, are usually migraory and are often not confined to specific sea areas such as the Caribbean Large Marie Ecosystem (CLME), but are shared with and utilised by stakeholders outside the CLME. Implementing an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) for these resources therefore requires coordinaion of policy and management, from local through regional to international levels of governance in order to integrate multiple stakeholder objectives and achieve compatibility across all sea areas relevant to these stocks. IN this paper, we propose that a principal EAF authority for large pelagic fish resources be assigned at each recognised level of governance (local, national, regional, international) to serve a central coordinating role for networking and reporting at the level. A management partnership arrangement involving the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and Caribbean regional fisheries organisations (RFOs) may provide the best option for a principal EAF authority at the Caribbean level As with organisations charged with conventional fisheries management, each principal EAF authority will be expected to pursue good governance and management practices while nurturing the required inter-sectoral integration and compatibility over the entire sea areas and governance boundaries concerned. Capacity building, public education and the cost of implementing an agreed EAF for large pelagic fish resources also warrant special attention.