November 13, 2012 — Today, in the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) meeting, Dr. Bill Karp, the recently appointed Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) Director, presented a “Review of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Draft Strategic Plan.” Dr. Karp presented an overview of the plan, which included an outline of the the planning process, the core activities planned, and the major research objectives.
According to Dr. Karp, the goal of the strategic plan is to document and prioritize the science activities of the Center, including evaluating places where synergies are needed, plans that need consolidation, and putting management in a better position to deal with the budget challenges expected in the next several years.
Each of NOAA's science centers is drafting a plan of this type and is seeking input from the public, but it is only a part of the planning process so far, Dr. Karp explains. Equally important is the implementation process, where each of the activities at the Science Center will be evaluated annually on their performance and their conformance to the science plan. The complete science plan will then be evaluated every five years to make sure it is up to date with fishing priorities.
Dr. Karp then described the main activities under the science plan, including the recent “integrated ecosystem assessment," which takes into account the impacts of changing environmental conditions due to climate change. The Strategic Plan covers themes that include problems with current assessments and science discussed at last Friday’s Fishermen’s Northeast Groundfish Science Forum.
Following up comments he made at the Science Forum, Dr. Karp described how collaborative research would fit into the science plan. “Not only am I concerned and interested in briefing and exchanging with our primary partners…but that the science itself is done through partnerships," he stated. “One of the primary purposes of a strategic plan of this kind is really to fully understand how well we leverage our science with respect to the partnerships that we have, and whether there are new opportunities for partnerships for building and improving the science that is so important to us.” Dr. Karp notes that the partners he references include those in the industry, the academic community, and other federal organizations.
This was followed by a discussion of how the plan will be used to guide the Center’s work for the next five years, as well as comments by members of the Council and the public.
Listen to Dr. Bill Karp’s overview of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Draft Strategic Plan and follow along with the slides. Please note: the webinar feed provided incomplete audio resulting in an abrupt start to Dr. Karp’s presentation.
Dr. Bill Karp’s review of the Center’s Draft Strategic Plan was followed by a Council member question and answer period. This portion of the discussion touched on a variety of issues including:
• The effect of environmental factors on fish stocks and the uncertainty that arises in stock assessment data as a result
• The need for public feedback on the Science Center’s Draft Strategic Plan
• The definition of a “healthy marine ecosystem” and “value”
• Human beings as an integral part of the ecosystem
Listen to Council members' comments regarding Dr. Bill Karp’s overview of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Draft Strategic Plan.
The Council members' comments were followed by a public comment period, which also brought to light a variety of issues. These issues included:
• The inclusion of the resilience of human communities in the Science Center’s Draft Strategic Plan
• The development of effective and efficient science as a way of improving management
• The benefits of setting a multi-year fisheries management plan
Listen to the public’s comments regarding the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Draft Strategic Plan.