Stakeholder reflections on EFIMAS Nathalie Steins Modelling important

Stakeholder reflections on EFIMAS Nathalie Steins

• Modelling important part of management support toolbox • Participatory modelling step forwards: - a priori evaluation of objectives, assumptions and data entry - way to include fishermen’s stock perceptions - addressing information needs stakeholders - evaluation of outcomes - stakeholder buy-in

• Attention for economic component of management needed: - indicator for changing fleet behaviour with potential effects on stocks - alternative way of including some social aspects of management - cost-benefit analysis / impact assessment of management plans

• Risk of ‘over complexity’: - parallel with fisheries regulations: ‘health check’ needed - keep in mind initial objectives - keep in mind it is a tool to look at alternatives or directions - apply sociological tool of ‘critical incidents’ to decide with stakeholders on model parameters: include ‘critical parameters’ only

• Models are ‘data hungry’ • FLR could help as a platform to pool and access data: lego box • What about the industry lego blocks?

Dutch industry self-sampling programme 2004 -2006 Spatial patterns Model predictions of plaice discards

Dutch industry self-sampling programme 2004 -2006

• Industry has a lot of lego blocks for FLR / science, but: - scientists are very persistent about their data formats / models can’t cope - data are met with some suspicion: objectivity and quality of industry • Need to find creative / alternative ways in making industry lego blocks part of toolbox

• One final free advice to scientists: - check if you’re talking about the same thing as the industry (e. g. different definition of ‘catchability’) - check if the way you present your information is understandable (e. g. formulas versus plain language, tables versus graphs)