NERP TE Project 9.2 Design and implementation of Management Strategy Evaluation for the Great Barrier Reef inshore (MSEGBR) (CSIRO)

This project will develop a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) framework to build understanding of the key human uses and drivers of change in the inshore Great Barrier Reef (GBR), and to inform GBR stakeholders of the likely consequences, costs and benefits of particular management decisions that aim to minimise the impacts on biodiversity, particularly from inshore multi-species fisheries. The MSE approach involves developing models that capture the key attributes of the management problem, including processes of biophysical systems, human uses of ecosystems and their socio-economic drivers, and the three major components of an adaptive management strategy – monitoring, assessment and management decision processes. A staged approach to the MSE is proposed. It will include: 1. Scoping of the project, data and information gathering, stakeholder elicitation of objectives and understanding key processes. 2. Assessment of management strategies using a qualitative MSE in the GBR region. This will consist of a) developing management strategies, b) assessing the relative impact of the management strategies against the objectives and c) steps required for implementation. This project is now complete.