EcoFishMan is a EC-funded RTD project that seeks to develop a responsive fisheries management system (RFMS) based on results-based management (RBM) principles. The intended context of application of the RFMS is complex, mixed-fisheries and multi-stakeholder fishery sectors like those found in the EU/Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) area.
The EcoFishMan concept is based on the notion that major problems in fisheries, particularly within complex fisheries like those in Europe, are linked to the shortcomings of the particular form of management developed within the sector. These shortcomings are typically characterized by administrative micro-management procedures. An important avenue towards more healthy fisheries can be found in a transition towards a RBM system. RBM systems are generic and flexible, but they must be specifically tailored to fit the technical, economic and political structures of the relevant sector. The general objective of EcoFishMan is to develop and pre-evaluate a responsive fisheries management system (RFMS) based on RBM principles.