Context and Level

The ICES Training Programme intends to broaden our approach to fish stock and ecosystem analysis and make all relevant modelling methods available to our community. The Ecopath/Ecosim model has not been widely used in the ICES context not the least because there were some concerns about the capability to make quantitative predictions and thus support management decision-making.
We are therefore happy to offer training in most recent developments of the method by two of the most prominent Ecopath experts, who provided us with the following course description:

Ecopath, with Ecosim, is the world’s most widely used tool for ecosystem modelling, with more than 6000 registered users in 155 countries, and it has been recognized by NOAA as one of the ten most important scientific breakthroughs in the organization’s 200-year history. It is designed to enable construction of data-rich ecosystem models, with a focus on their use for implementation of ecosystem-based fishery management. Although the initial model development is straightforward, added capabilities allow users to address wide-ranging policy questions, ranging from evaluating the relative impact of climate and fisheries, tracing effects of bioaccumulation, to optimization of the placement of protected areas and evaluation of social and economic consequences of management interactions.

The course is planned as a five-day activity, and is intended for scientists with some prior experience with ecosystem modelling. Participants are expected to have at least a cursory familiarity with the Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) approach and software, which can be downloaded freely from www.ecopath.org. We will use the new version 6 of the software, which has been reprogrammed and redesigned in the Microsoft .NET environment. Participants are expected to bring a portable computer (Apple with virtualization is acceptable) and to have installed EwE6 prior to the course.

The course will provide an introduction to the use of ecosystem modelling as a part of the fishery management process. It includes an overview of how foodweb modelling can be integrated with economic value-chain modelling. The focus will be on time- and spatial-dynamic modelling, including a session on spatial optimization. 

The time will be split about evenly between lectures and tutorials, with a focus on hands-on development of simple models from scratch, using the software. It is the intention to give the participants confidence in constructing and interpreting basic ecosystem models, as well as a good knowledge of more advanced methodologies for modelling.

Dates and Venue

The course will take place in the ICES HQ 8-12 March 2010.

ICES HQ, Copenhagen, Denmark
H. C. Andersens Boulevard 44-46
DK-1553 Copenhagen V
Denmark
Tel: +45 3338 6700
Fax: +45 3393 4215
info@ices.dk

Please find a list of hotels close to ICES here

Hostel next door to ICES - click here

Training course materials

• EwE6 User’s Guide (download from www.ecopath.org)
• Reprints (will be made available to participants prior to the course)
• Lecture notes (will be made available to participants prior to the course)
• Presentations (will be made available to participants prior to the course)

Fee

The fee for the course is €500. This covers only tuition fee.

Organization

The course is organized by the ICES Secretariat as part of the ICES Training programme.

The course and course materials are provided by Villy Christensen, Associate Professor, Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, and Steve Mackinson, Ecosystem Applications Team Leader, Cefas, Lowestoft, UK.

The course includes applied examples, case studies, and hand-on exercises on the computer.

Participants are required to bring their own laptops with Excel installed, to connect to ICES network.

Admission and Registration

The course is designed for a maximum of 25 participants. The working language is English.

Please use the on-line registation. You will receive a message acknowledging reception of your application within one week.

The deadline for the submission of applications is 8 January 2010.

Instructors

Villy Christensen, Associate Professor
Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia
2202 Main Mall, Vancouver BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
Tel: (+1) 604 822 5751
v.christensen@fisheries.ubc.ca

Steve Mackinson
Ecosystem Applications Team Leader
Cefas
Pakefield Road
Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0HT UK
Tel: (+44) 1502 524295
steve.mackinson@cefas.co.uk

Contact ICES Secretariat for more information

Søren Anker Pedersen
Coordinator for Training
tel. +45 33 38 67 52
Email

Programme

Day 1	Topic
Morning	Welcome to ICES Training Programme (ICES Coordinator for Training) About this course (Villy Christensen and Steven Mackinson) Introduction of participants and lecturers, expectations Lecture: Using ecosystem modelling for fisheries management; introduction to Ecopath with Ecosim (ver. 6); the approach and software Tutorial: Create a simple food web model from scratch
Afternoon	Lecture: Mass-balance modelling; introduction; parameters Tutorial: Mass-balancing of simple ecosystem models Lecture: Network analysis and indicators, model comparisons
Day 2
Morning	Lecture: Modelling predator–—prey interactions; time-dynamic modelling; Ecosim; the foraging arena: density-dependence and carrying capacity Tutorial: Exploring EwE; creating a simple model; straight food chain dynamics: impact of targeting piscivores vs. forage species. Foodweb dynamics with more detailed foodwebs
Afternoon	Mediation: non-trophic impacts. Modelling environmental impact. Primary production anomalies; Using climate drivers Tutorial: Fitting ecosystem models to time-series data Lecture: Coupling to climate, hydrographic, and NPZ models, and incorporation of alternative modelling approaches within the EwE6 modelling framework and software
Day 3
Morning	Lecture: Economic and social aspects of the fisheries sector. From sea to consumer: coupling foodweb with the economic value chain Lecture: Fishing policy exploration; defining an objective function Tutorial: Setting up the value chain; policy exploration Lecture: Management Strategy Evaluation
Afternoon	Modelling multispecies fishery regulations (weakest stock, strongest stock with discarding, selective fishing quota); fleet quotas; target fishing mortality policy. Fleet size dynamics Tutorial: Fishery regulations
Day 4
Morning	Spatial modelling in EwE; introduction; spatial data; objectivity function; optimizations approaches; linkages to/from Marian; comparative studies Tutorial: Optimizing placement of protected areas
Afternoon	Using ecosystems models for fishery management: North Sea models; use in regional management councils; policy questions and objectives Tutorial: Exploring the North Sea models
Day 5
Morning	Using EwE as a decision-support system Tutorial: Ecosystem management gaming exploration
Afternoon	Question-and-answer session; discussion; evaluation Closing

ICES
H. C. Andersens -
Boulevard 44-46
DK-1553
Copenhagen V
Denmark
Tel: +45 3338 6700
Fax: +45 3393 4215
info@ices.dk