Message from NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries has just released for public comment an updated Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) Road Map that will guide us as we continue to move toward managing fisheries at the ecosystem level. Full text of the document is available here.
The EBFM Road Map is part of our policy directive system, and is formally a "procedure" that provides guidance to NOAA staff on implementing the EBFM Policy. In other words, these are not laws and don't regulate or otherwise bind the public.
The Role of IEAs in Moving Towards EBFM
NOAA’s Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) program outlines a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to help advance nationwide EBFM by providing the scientific support for assessing the entire ecosystem and its uses. The EBFM Road Map and EBFM Policy are meant to encompass and align multiple EBFM-related efforts, including NOAA’s IEA program, in a holistic way.