What is EBM?

• EBM requires integrated consideration of objectives in advice and management, which differs from current approaches to management where these considerations are usually treated separately, in different processes, and in different ways (8)

• EBM, EBFM (Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management) and EAFM (Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management) are all part of an “Ecosystem Approach” and can be considered part of a continuum of a hierarchy.

• EBM is the overarching approach to manage human activities and environmental stewardship in a multiple-use context. 

• EBFM and EAFM are focused on fisheries 

The current state of the world’s ecosystems demonstrates that we cannot afford to keep waiting to implement EBM (9). 

The EBM Framework provides the following:

1. Integrated advice for decision making​

2. A comprehensive suite of objectives based on DFO and National policy, and International agreements ​

3. A common unifying framework, for use across sectors/branches/departments and activities, for EBM, Integrated Management (IM), Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), Blue Economy (BE), Conservation and protection measures including Marine Protected Areas (MPA), etc.​

4. A list of objectives as basis for evaluation of trade-offs and cumulative impacts (that have been difficult to address holistically)​

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has a mandate to apply an ecosystem approach, inclusive of ecological, economic, social/cultural and governance dimensions, to fisheries and oceans management decisions. 

• EBM is inherently related to current DFO Priorities and Programs and has been mentioned in DFO policies and programs since as early as the Oceans Act (1997)

• An EBM Framework informs DFO and other Government Department policies, international commitments as well as aspirational and anticipatory areas that are emerging from leading international literature relating to broader issues (e.g., the blue economy, Marine Spatial Planning or offshore energy)

IM – Integrated Management

IOM – Integrated Ocean Management

ICM – Integrated Coastal and Marine Management

ICZM -  Integrated Coastal Zone management

ICOM – Integrated Coastal and Oceans Management

MSP – Marine (Maritime) Spatial Planning

MPA/ Conservation Networks – Marine Protected Area Networks

See Tam et al. figure Above - 

EBM -Single species (SS) management incorporates biological information regarding the focal species or stock alongside fisheries information. 

Ecosystem approaches to fisheries management incorporate a wider breadth of information that could include any social-ecological information into SS or stock advice. 

Ecosystem-based fisheries management incorporates any social-ecological information into a multi-species and multi-stock advice process. 

EBM involves multi-sector management whereby marine ecosystems and fisheries are considered equal among multiple ocean uses