Incorporating ecosystem information into science advice for fisheries management – a case study for Haida Gwaii Pacific Herring

This study advances the integration of ecosystem information into science advice for fisheries management, focusing on a case study for Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii<i></i>) in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada. Despite an absence of commercial fishing in recent decades, Haida Gwaii herring productivity has been low, suggesting ongoing impacts from physical and biological pressures unrelated to harvest. The objectives were to identify and summarize indicators of environmental, biological, and anthropogenic pressures hypothesized to mechanistically affect herring; employ a multi-model approach to analyze pressure-outcome relationships; and provide insights for fisheries managers. Single pressure-response analyses unveiled 22 significant linear or nonlinear relationships, primarily involving predator and prey abundances. Gradient forest analysis also identified predator abundances, herring commercial catch, upwelling, and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation as important pressures. Dynamic factor analysis revealed long-term pressure trends corresponding to decreased herring catches and increased predator abundances. A risk classification table of ecosystem and population dynamics suggests an increased concern for this stock. These findings advocate for incorporating ecosystem considerations into fisheries management to foster more effective and sustainable management strategies.