Specifically for fisheries, the FAO states that the purpose is “to plan, develop and manage fisheries in a manner that addresses the multiple needs and desires of societies, without jeopardizing the options of future generations to benefit from the full range of goods and services provided by marine ecosystems”. The approach is here defined as one that “strives to balance diverse social objectives, by taking into account knowledge and uncertainty about biotic, abiotic, and human components of ecosystems and their interactions and applying an integrated approach to fisheries within ecologically meaningful boundaries”. Based on more general definitions of the CBD and of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) these definitions make it clear that an ecosystem approach is an instrument to pursue sustainable development in its three dimensions, which also form part of the objectives of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy, namely environmental protection, social equity and cohesion and economic prosperity, and which are enshrined in the CFP Basic Regulation.

On this basis the Commission’s understanding is that an ecosystem approach to fisheries management is about ensuring goods and services from living aquatic resources for present and future generations within meaningful ecological boundaries. Such fisheries management will strive to ensure that benefits from living marine resources are high while the direct and indirect impacts of fishing operations on marine ecosystems are low and not detrimental to the future functioning, diversity and integrity of these ecosystems.

An ecosystem approach therefore continues from the earlier “paradigm of limits” of traditional fisheries management focusing on the target resource. However, the concept of “limits” no longer considers only the impacts on a target population, but rather the fact that all ecosystems have limits which, when exceeded, can result in major ecosystem change. Boundaries for impacts from fishing are ecologically meaningful if harvested populations are kept within ecologically viable levels, if biological diversity is maintained and if impacts on the structure, processes and functions of the ecosystem are kept at acceptable levels. In addition, since fishing interacts with other human activities and their consequences relating to the seas, these interactions must also be considered.

Source: EURO-Lex

The ecosystem approach, enshrined in the adopted Marine Strategy Framework Directive, brings with it particular challenges. Decision-making may no longer be organised exclusively along the lines of traditional sectoral policies, but needs to reflect the large, transfrontier marine ecosystems which must be preserved in order to maintain the resource base of all maritime activities. Within this context of marine environmental protection, it is therefore necessary also to think in terms of maritime basins and the marine regions and sub-regions provided for in the Directive.

Source: EURO-Lex

The diverging impact of the COVID-19 crisis across the European economy, and the disruptions experienced in spring 2020, confirmed the need for an ecosystem approach.

Source: EURO-Lex