SMM Thematic Session 4: Ecosystem-Based Management

Abstract

22 October 2020: In its report, the Arctic Council’s Ecosystem-Based Management Expert Group (2011-13) defined Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) as: the comprehensive, integrated management of human activities based on best available scientific and traditional knowledge about the ecosystem and its dynamics, in order to identify and take action on influences that are critical to the health of ecosystems, thereby achieving sustainable use of ecosystem goods and service and maintenance of ecosystem integrity. Although the EBM endeavors to reconcile commercial, social, cultural, and ecological aspect, this approach recognizes that the needs of the ecosystem come first as its failure would compromise all other values or goals. Discussions will be focused on EBM in an Arctic context, i.e., Arctic marine ecosystems have pulses of seasonal productivity due to seasonal migration that provide subsidies to other, less productive ecosystems.