Evaluation of Management 

 Effectiveness 



Both the councils and the Federal Govern- 

 ment have the responsibility of measuring the 

 effect of the new management systems that are 

 being developed. In its interim regulations for 

 the operation of the Regional Councils, NMFS 

 has slightly expanded on the standards set 

 forth in the law to be considered in evaluating 

 management plans. These standards are:^^ 



1. Conservation and management measures 

 shall prevent overfishing, while achiev- 

 ing on a continuing basis, the optimum 

 yield from each fishery. 



2. Conservation and management shall be 

 based upon the best scientific informa- 

 tion available. 



3. To the extent practicable, an individual 

 stock of fish shall be managed as a unit 

 throughout its range and interrelated 

 stocks of fish shall be managed as a unit 

 or in close coordination. 



4. Conservation and management measures 

 shall not discriminate between residents 

 of different States. If it becomes necessary 

 to allocate or assign fishing privileges 

 among various U.S. fishermen such 

 allocation shall be (1) fair and equitable 

 to all such fishermen, (2) reasonably 

 calculated to promote conservation and 

 (3) carried out in such manner that no 

 particular individual, corporation, or 

 other entity acquires an excessive share 

 of such privileges. 



5. Conservation and management measures 

 shall, where practicable, promote effi- 

 ciency in the utilization of fishery 

 resources; except that no such measure 

 shall have economic allocation as its sole 

 purpose. 



6. Conservation and management measures 

 shall take into account and allow for 

 variations among and contingencies in, 

 fisheries, fishery resources, and catches. 



7. Conservation and management measures 

 shall, where practicable, minimize costs 

 and avoid unnecessary duplication. 



However, scientific data are not available to 

 backup these standards and it would be 

 desirable to establish a baseline for evaluation 

 as soon as possible. Later sections of this 

 report and Working Papers Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 

 describe the lack or unreliability of necessary 

 data for fisheries management. Until such 

 data and analytical methods are developed, it 

 is unlikely that management plans can be 

 evaluated in any way which meaningfully 

 reflects whether the plans have been effective 

 in the past and what measures will be effective 

 in the future. 



74 



