The role of marine science in participatory fisheries governance

In the North Atlantic, formal international agreements to provide a co-ordinated response to the requirement for marine science to underpin fisheries governance have been in place for over 100 years. In this chapter, I consider how marine science has been used during that period, and the extent to which failures in fisheries management result from deficiencies or misuse of the science. My analysis of our failures in the past leads me to a consideration of ways to avoid such failures in the future, including an account of the possible role for marine science in an objective-based management regime, such as the 'ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management'. This role will include a significant element of prediction of the ecosystem effects of management scenarios, and also much greater dialogue with industry stakeholders and society to allow the informed selection of management objectives. The traditional fisheries science sector is inadequately prepared for this task, and much greater use of the wider marine science community will be required. In addition to the scientific challenges, the development of effective communication mechanisms between marine scientists and fisheries scientists, and between the science sector and society, must be acknowledged as necessary conditions for the success of these initiatives.