Requirements for an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management

Many of the world’s fish populations are overexploited and some of the ecosystems that sustain them are degraded. The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) will extend the existing foci of fisheries management to include additional ecosystem considerations. The wider Ecosystem Approach to Marine Management (EAMM) is examined in the context of the Integrated Maritime Policy and Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) which represents an opportunity for a comprehensive policy for protecting, improving and sustainably using Europe’s environmentally degraded seas. EAFM can contribute to an overall EAMM.