Addressing uncertainty in FISHeries management in a zooplankton-fish COMmunity under human-induced perturbations (FISHCOM)

Informations

Funding country

Norway

Acronym

-

URL

-

Start date

1/1/2018

End date

12/31/2022

Budget

928,158 EUR

Fundings

Abstract

There is considerable uncertainty associated with the management of marine resources. In this project we investigate how uncertainties can affect our ability to maintain a healthy and sustainable management of these resources in the face of changes in the environment. Such changes may be due, for example, to oil activities or harvesting of species that have not previously been harvested extensively. We work on developing new strategies for the management of the stock of cod in the Barents Sea in response to a mass mortality event in early life as well as harvesting at lower trophic level. Moreover, we work on quantifying how uncertainty related to the model structure may affect the dynamics of the ecosystem. Models that aim to describe the dynamics of the same species do not necessarily yield coherent results, and this can result in different management strategies. Such differences can be due to different focus and precession of the various models. In this context, we have compared to output of two contrasting models, one fairly simple and one with high complexity. Applying these two models have allowed us to quantify some of the uncertainty associated with the model structure. Furthermore, we are developing bio-economic models to increase our understanding of how humans respond to a sudden change in the marine ecosystem. In this context we have conducted two economic experiment that will give us valuable knowledge that can help ensure continued good management of marine resources.