When to conduct, and when not to conduct, management strategy evaluations

The basis of natural resource management is decision making under uncertainty while balancing competing objectives. Within fisheries management, a process described as management strategy evaluation (MSE) is becoming increasingly requested globally to develop and test management procedures. In a fisheries or other natural resource context, a management procedure is a rule that predetermines the management response given feedback from the resource and is simulation tested to be robust to multiple uncertainties. MSEs are distinguished from other risk or simulation analyses by the explicit testing of the feedback mechanism that applies decision rule-based management advice back to the simulated population or ecosystem. Stakeholder input is frequently cited as a best practice in the MSE process, since it fosters communication and facilitates buy-in to the process. Nevertheless, due to the substantial additional cost, time requirement, and necessary scientific personnel, full stakeholder MSEs remain relatively uncommon. With this communication, we provide guidance on what constitutes an MSE, when MSEs should be undertaken or where simpler approaches may suffice, and how to prioritize the degree of stakeholder participation.

Automated summary

The basis of natural resource management is decision making under uncertainty while balancing competing objectives. Management strategy evaluation (MSE) is increasingly used globally in fisheries management to develop and test management procedures. MSEs distinguish themselves from other risk or simulation analyses by explicitly testing the feedback mechanism of decision rule-based management advice. Stakeholder input is important in the MSE process, but full stakeholder MSEs are relatively uncommon due to the additional cost and time requirements.