Why is Sustainability so Difficult? – Understanding and Addressing Impediments to Conserving Aquatic Resources

Moderator: Dave Cannon
Email: dcannon4kna@aol.com

Date: Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Time: 1:40 pm to 5:40 pm
Location: Egan 9-10

In 1996, the National Research Council reported in Upstream that the salmon declines of the Pacific Northwest were largely a result of human impacts on the environment driven by economic development. In another text describing the decline of the Pacific Northwest salmon, Sustainable Fisheries Management Pacific Salmon, it’s noted that despite the vast quantities of time, money, and effort spent on fisheries management, there has been a widespread and marked decline in the size and number of salmonid populations over the last century; the overriding causes again being associated with human activities. Virtually everyone involved in the PNW management process recognized the need to sustain the fish stocks, yet there was little agreement on the underlying causes of the declines or on the actions required to restore the populations. Considering that only two years ago Worldwide Decline of Fish Populations was the theme for the 133rd annual meeting, one might ask if the institutions responsible for managing aquatic resources are fully capable of that task given that management involves much more than just the biological components. Sociologists have shown that humans often may not do things they know constitute wise behavior, even when it's to their benefit. If this is so, is it possible that human nature and its consequences might construct insuperable obstacles to long-term sustainability of many fishery resources? The objectives of the symposium are 1) to describe the major impediments that biologists face in the pursuit of conserving fish populations, and 2) discuss approaches that will better prepare resource managers to deal with the ever-increasing pressures on those resources.

Link to list of presentations in this symposium

Sponsors:

Great Lakes Fisheries Commission

Bering Sea Fisherman's Association

U.S. Forest Service

Doug Molyneaux