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Is adaptive management helping to solve fisheries problems?
1University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. c.walters@fisheries.ubc.ca
Ambio
|July 14, 2007
Summary
Adaptive management, a strategy for environmental decision-making under uncertainty, often fails due to institutional barriers. Implementing large-scale experiments requires resources, leadership, and a willingness to embrace uncertainty.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Ecology
- Conservation Biology
Background:
- Adaptive management is recommended for environmental decision-making amidst uncertainty.
- It frames policy choices as large-scale scientific experiments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the success and failures of adaptive management case studies.
- To identify institutional barriers hindering the implementation of adaptive management.
Main Methods:
- Review of over 100 case studies applying adaptive management.
- Analysis of implementation challenges in experimental management programs.
Main Results:
- Most adaptive management attempts have failed to implement experimental programs.
- Significant monitoring program issues arose in cases where plans were implemented.
- Failures are linked to resource limitations, resistance to uncertainty, and lack of leadership.
Conclusions:
- Institutional challenges, including resource constraints, risk aversion, and leadership deficits, impede effective adaptive management.
- Overcoming these barriers is crucial for successful environmental decision-making and policy implementation.
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