The development of GIS to understand the functional relationships
between fisheries and ecosystems is still in the pilot or planning stages.
Edwards et al. (2000) addressed ecosystem-based management of fishery
resources in the northeastern U.S. shelf ecosystem. The objective of their
research was to determine whether the management of marine fisheries
resources in the northeastern region of the United States was consistent
with ecosystem-based management for an aggregated sustainable yield of
commercially valuable species. In their study, a GIS was used to display
and analyze spatial data for investigating ecosystem-based management
of fisheries resources. Distributions of species, fishing effort, and landing
revenues based on 10-minute squares over Georges Bank during a 3-year
period were spatially analyzed. Similar maps of fishing effort by gear (fish
trawls and scallop dredges) suggest the scope for likely bycatch. An indication
of the economic importance of the groundfish areas closed to other
fisheries, especially to the Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus)
fishery, is suggested by revenue coverages. As a result, GIS could well handle
the spatial analysis of ecological, technological, and economic relationships
and could facilitate reviews of management plans for their consistency
with ecosystem requisites. An essential component of this study is a
clear understanding of the spatial distribution of interactions among species,
fishing effort, and technologies, and markets for fisheries products.
Edwards et al. (2000) concluded that GIS will be the only tool for such
complex spatial analyses and the research is now progressing with this
particular objective