Sustainability of Fisheries, Coasts and Oceans - Integrated Systems Approaches

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This NSERC-supported research provides the decision support tools and knowledge base needed to meet one of the most challenging problems facing Canada and the world today: achieving sustainability in human uses of fisheries, oceans and coasts. As Canada has the longest coastline of the world, meeting this challenge is especially crucial here, especially given the rapidly increasing pressures on coasts and oceans around the world. To meet these challenges, this work applies `systems thinking' to integrate natural, human and management factors, and thus to help solve real-world problems. Better guidelines for effective sustainable development strategies will be produced for fisheries, coastal and marine systems, to balance competing uses and enhance sustainability of ocean ecosystems, fishing industries and coastal communities. The research has four main aspects: 1.Developing integrated fishery management frameworks at national, regional & local scales based on effective ecosystem-based management and community-based marine conservation approaches, and producing useful decision-making tools supporting fishery sustainability. 2.Helping to resolve conflicts between fisheries and ocean biodiversity conservation initiatives through improved knowledge of human, natural and management systems and interactions, and contributions to effective ocean and coastal management, and marine protected areas. 3.Improving climate change adaptation in fisheries and coastal communities by forging better links of fishery management and climate adaptation processes, and aiding coastal communities to better predict and more effectively adapt to climate changes, including ocean acidification. 4.Supporting coastal communities in planning their future using participatory approaches that involve communities in forming local plans for environmental stewardship and economic development, and then engaging in scenario analysis and dynamic modelling of the future. The significance of this research lies in the guidance it provides for sustainable development strategies in fisheries facing sustainability threats, and in coastal and ocean areas that must balance competing uses. Tools will be produced to enable marine industries, and society, to better evaluate environmental and sustainability impacts, and to improve the efficiency of environmental and resource management. The research will highlight the importance of healthy ecosystems and healthy communities, as well as biodiversity conservation and climate change action. To ensure a significant impact, the work will take place in close collaboration with the fishery and other ocean use sectors, First Nations and coastal communities, as well as governments and international organizations. Furthermore, students involved in this research will gain from a strong interdisciplinary approach that provides to new generations the diverse skills needed to address environmental and sustainability challenges into the future.