Understanding habitat, distribution, and abundance are important issues
in fisheries management, especially in the United States, due to the
1996 reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act requiring amendments of all U.S. federal fisheries management
plans to describe, identify, conserve, and enhance essential fish habitat (EFH). The designation of an EFH will involve the characterization
and mapping of habitat and habitat requirements for the critical life stages
of each species. In addition, threats (including damage from fishing gear)
to EFHs need to be identified, and conservation and enhancement measures
promoted. Geographical information system technologies are essential
for the successful implementation of this new fisheries management
target, particularly in the initial characterization of habitat, the spatial correlation
of potential threats with habitat, the evaluation of cumulative impacts,
and the monitoring of habitat quality and quantity. Habitat mapping,
modeling, and the determination of EFH are now commonly addressed
within a GIS framework (Booth 1998, Fisher and Toepfer 1998, Parke 1999,
Fisher et al. 2000, Nishida and Miyashita 2000, Ross and Ott 2000).
Fisheries Oceanography and Ecosystems
Fisheries oceanography and ecosystem science refer to that research area
relating to spatial relationships among fish, fisheries, oceanography, and
ecology. Knowledge obtained through these studies will, therefore, be critical
in achieving an ethos of “responsible fishing” and facilitate optimal fisheries
management practices (FAO 1995). Since its adoption, the world’s fishing
24 Nishida & Booth — Using GIS in the Spatial Analysis of