Paradigm shifts, gaps, inertia, and political agendas in ecosystem-based fisheries management

摘要

There is no doubt that the many different ways to refer to the idea of the ecosystem-based management (EBM) of fisheries have successfully entered the politically correct scientific/managerial jargon. The success of this process is impressive, as demonstrated by widespread reference to the concept in all types of documents, including the crucial project applications to funding agencies and donors (for which it has become a must). This apparent triumph conceals a bitter reality: the lack of a scientific and political consensus on the conceptual basis and limits of EBM, and the unavailability of an operational framework generating clear rules for its practical implementation.