WGBESEO synthesize existing information on social, economic, and ecological (SEE) management objectives derived from legal and policy documents within a multi-level governance setting in dialogue with relevant stakeholders. Based on this, the group identifies relevant characteristics of SEE objectives and, finally, develops and tests a methodology for identifying and classifying these objectives in national, international or supra-national governance settings that can be applied repeatedly by ICES groups in different geographic settings.
A variety of SEE objectives relevant for managing marine resources have been set out in legal and policy documents. Having a systematic comprehension of such objectives and information on potential trade-offs among them enables decisions to be made with better comprehension of the societal implications of alternative courses of action. The developed framework will enable the identification of management objectives for specific ecoregions in line with ICES Ecosystem Overviews.
