Fisheries management should be more broadly based on 

 an ecosystem perspective rather than focused on the target 

 species alone. Fishery resource stocks have traditionally 

 and properly been viewed as renewable resources. Because 

 of the now recognized interactions between particular fish- 

 ery resource populations and other populations which may 

 also be harvested, or have aesthetic or other values not as- 

 sociated with harvesting, or which may be threatened or en- 

 dangered populations, it seems clear that a broader perspec- 

 tive is also appropriate, namely that an ecosystem is a re- 

 newable resource. 



LEGISLATIVE INTENT 



Ecosystem Orientation 



The FCMA, MMPA and ESA are examples of legislation con- 

 cerned with the treatment of renewable resources and the en- 

 vironment. A comparison of certain provisions of the three 

 Acts (Table 2) indicates an ecosystem orientation in all 

 of them: Conservation principles concern habitat and eco- 

 systems as well as populations , while resource definitions 

 include environment, habitat or ecosystems. OY as defined 

 in the FCMA has a component of ecological considerations. 

 The primary objective of the MMPA is to maintain the health 

 and stability of the marine ecosystem. The purpose of the 

 ESA is conservation of endangered or threatened species and 

 their supporting ecosystems . Each of these Acts considers 

 resource populations of particular concern, but also places 

 these resources in an ecological context, thus taking a broad- 

 er perspective on resource conservation and management. 



Activities of Concern 



The activities of concern clearly include fishery re- 

 source harvesting for the FCMA. For the MMPA and ESA, activ- 

 ities of concern are any affecting populations or habitat 

 of marine mammals or of endangered or threatened species, 

 including fishing. Consequently, it seems clear that fishery 

 management plans should consider the marine environment and 

 marine ecosystems, not only stocks, in developing conserva- 

 tion and management measures for and in anticipating the en- 

 vironmental impacts of fisheries . 



Compatibility of the FCMA, MI-IP A . and ESA 



From some of the reviewers' comments on the first draft 

 of this report, it appears that some scientists and admin- 

 istrators perceive that the FCMA and MMPA may be incompatible 



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