165 



INSTITUTE A MULTI-SPECIES ECOSYSTEM ORIENTED APPROACH TO FISHERY 

 MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH 



The Magnuson Act mandates that conservation and management measures pre- 

 vent overfishing. Unfortunately the implementation of this mandate may not be ef- 

 fective in protecting the overall health of our marine resources. This is especially 

 true in Alaska where we are experiencing alarming declines in regional populations 

 of marine mammals and birds that depend on Commercially important fish for food. 



For instance, Steller sea lions have declined 50-80 percent in the last 15-20 years 2 

 and are now classified as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. There has 

 been a 50 percent decline of the red-legged kittiwake population in the Pribilof Is- 

 lands and the production of northern fur seal pups has declined 30 percent in the 

 last ten years. 3 Harbor seals in the Bering Sea may be only 15 percent of their 

 1970's population and black-legged kittiwakes and common and thick-billed murres 

 are also declining. 4 In Prince William Souna and outlying areas, populations of 

 black -legged kittiwakes, pigeon guillemots, marbled murrlets, and arctic terns have 

 declined 60-80 percent since 1972. 5 



We recognize and commend the North Pacific Council and its staff for the con- 

 servation measures it has taken over the years. Unfortunately even their own 

 Groundfish planning team admits that the effect of annually harvesting large 

 amounts of fish (targeted and untargeted) on ecosystem productivity is not under- 

 stood. 6 Nor do we know the biological consequences of fishing a group of species at 

 or near Maximum Sustained Yield values on community structure and predator — 

 prey relationships. 7 As Alaskans whose way of life and livelihoods depend on marine 

 resources, a precautionary approach is warranted. We can not afford to have any 

 additional species become listed as threatened or endangered. 



On July 16,1993 the U.S. submitted its Principles paper to the United Nations 

 that restated the need for reducing bycatch and further emphasized the need for 

 multi-species, ecosystem oriented management, recognizing the necessity for pre- 

 cautionary approaches that "take into account uncertainties concerning the size and 

 productivity of the resources and it inter-relationships with other resources." 



For these reasons, we believe the Magnuson Act should be amended specifically — 

 and forcefully — to develop a precautionary approach to fisheries management that 

 considers the entire ecosystem of a region or species: The Alaska Marine Conserva- 

 tion Council recommends the Act be amended to: 



1) Clearly establish conservation of marine resources, including habitat, as the 

 top priority in the Purpose and National Standards of the Act; 



2) Define and prohibit overfishing of target, non-target, associated and dependent 

 species including non-fish species such as sea cucumbers, kelps, seaweeds and 

 grasses, etc.; 



3) Include a common and appropriate definition of long-term Maximum Sustained 

 Yield that considers the entire ecosystem of a region or species and includes a mar- 

 gin of safety as a buffer against overfishing or impacts on other species; 



4) Require that conservation and management measures and the "fishery models" 

 on which they are based take into account predator — prey interactions and include 

 alternatives that provide for moratoria; 



5) Allow councils to act quickly to establish minimum size limits and other nec- 

 essary conservation measures in a particular fishery even if no fishery management 

 plan exists or when scientific evidence is unavailable. 



6) Mandate that research focus on multispecies and ecosystem interactions and 

 provide the councils with the tools to assess industry fees to help pay for it. 



The complex web of life which exists beneath the surface of the oceans remains 1 

 in large part, a mystery. In what way is the harvest of over a billion pounds of pol- 

 lock in the Bering Sea affecting marine mammals, birds and other species? What 

 is the impact of dragging nets across the sea floor? Are we clearcutting the habitat 

 of many species. 



2 National Academy of Sciences — National Research Council, Commission on Geosciences, En- 

 vironment, and Resources. Polar Research Board. Proposal No. 92-CGER-237 Scientific and 

 Technical Understanding of the Bering Sea Ecosystem, July 1992 quoting Lowery et al., 1991. 



s Ibid. 



4 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Seabird Management Plan, Region 7, 1991. 



e Ibid. 



8 Alaska Groundfish Planning Team, North Pacific Fishery Management Council, Stock As- 

 sessment and Fishery Evaluation Report For the 1993 Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Fishery, No- 

 vember 1992. 



7 Ibid. 



