Implementing the ecosystem approach: experiences from the North Sea, ICES, and the Institute of Marine Research, Norway

摘要

The ecosystem approach is a management principle which builds on the recognition that nature is an integrated entity and that we must take a holistic approach to nature management. The science to support ecosystem approach to management must also be integrated and holistic. A core element of this science is ecology, with a focus upon the properties and dynamics of ecosystems (Fenchel 1987). Many scientists and managers have recognised the need for an ecosystem approach for a long time (Likens 1992), although it is only during the last 10 to 15 yr that a broader awareness of this has developed. The increased awareness and formalisation of the ecosystem approach have emerged as a result of international environmental agreements within the framework of the United Nations, and a fundamental description of the basis of an 'ecosystem approach' was first formalised in the Stockholm Declaration in 1972 (Turrell 2004). The most authoritative account of the ecosystem approach is probably in Decision V/6 from the meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2000. This decision has an annex with a description, principles and operational guidance for application of the ecosystem approach (www.biodiv.org/deci-sions/?m=cop-05).