Creation of multi-annual management plans for commitment (COMMIT) (2212)

The objective of COMMIT was to provide a sound scientific basis for the long-term planning of fisheries management consistent with sustainable development, while also identifying any short-term biological and socio-economic consequences. This was done through the evaluation of multi-annual management plans that reduce annual fluctuations in exploitation strategy and ensure commitment of the stakeholders to the plan. Strategies were based upon harvest rules and developed explicitly recognizing uncertainty due to process, measurement, estimation, model and implementation error. In particular a socio-economic analysis identified mechanisms affecting the commitment of key stakeholders and hence the level of implementation error. Robust strategies were designed that explicitly took this into account. Stocks chosen are those of interest to the community (Baltic salmon, North Sea flatfish and Northern hake) and in particular those exploited in mixed fisheries, although the methods developed are generic and applicable to other stocks.

The project was coordinated by Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), UK.
Research area: Fisheries Management