Conference News

Consensus Conference FAQs

We have had many inquiries and comments on the June Consensus Conference on Integrating Marine Reserve Science and Fishery Management, and the approach is still raising questions.

In its work, NFCC tries to apply—in the fishery management realm—tools that have worked in other contexts. For example, we used Appreciative Inquiry, a technique from conflict negotiation and corporate change, to develop our strategic plan. We applied Decision Analysis, a tactic used to assess risk and values in other natural resource applications, to fishery management questions.

Watching scientists from two disciplines—reserve ecology and stock assessment—try to understand and apply each others' theoretical approaches tempted us to try a consensus conference as a way to bridge what seemed to be a gap in the models. We hope we have provided some answers to your Frequently Asked Questions.

Q What is a consensus conference?
A It is a meeting at which experts debate and consider a scientific question before a panel of neutral reviewers, who reach consensus on the topic in dispute, and write an answer.
Q What is the point of this consensus conference?
A To produce a more integrated theoretical basis for designing, managing and monitoring marine reserves as part of fishery management.

Q Will social science be a part of this?
A Although it is difficult—maybe impossible—to separate fishermen's responses to management actions like closed areas from the analysis of the action itself, we are trying to stick to issues of modeling, stock assessment, fish behavior and so forth. There will be social scientists on our review panel, and there will be fishermen presenting information about how closed areas have affected fishing. But the main focus of the meeting will be on getting the modelers to talk to each other.

Q Who decided what the questions and focus would be?
A The first step in convening a consensus conference is to organize a planning committee of knowledgable people who can narrow in on the questions. Ours included people from all regions of the country, from multiple sectors of interest, and with varied expertise. You can read about them on the website.

Q What will actually happen at the conference?
A The first day 10 experts will present different views on topics such as current knowledge, fish and fishermen's behavior, reserve design, stock assessment and so forth. Their presentations will be directed at providing information necessary for answering the six questions. These folks are from all three coasts including Canada and Alaska, and include fishermen and scientists from academic institutions, government and the private sector.

Q Then what?
A The Review Panel, a different group of 8 experts, will ask them questions, ask them to clarify, expand and debate with each other in order to get the most information possible.

Q Does the audience get to contribute?
A Not on the first day. That day the audience is in observer mode, and listens to the presentations and the questioning.

Q So why attend if I'm not a presenter or reviewer?
A On Day 2, while the review panel is off in a room going over their notes and drafting a consensus statement, the presenters and the audience will have an exchange through one or more panel discussions. The results of that discussion will be provided to the review panel.

Q Why is that important, if they have already drafted their consensus?
A Because they come back and present their first cut to the experts and the audience, and there is an opportunity for more give and take.

Q With the audience directly?
A No, this is not like a public hearing or meeting where the audience testifies. But we have requested that the experts who participate in the panel discussion incorporate what they have heard from the audience in their responses to the review panel and the draft consensus statement.

Q Who are the supporters of this conference?
A NFCC has received financial support from the conference from a variety of foundation, government, and private sources. A list of our past and present grantors is available on the website.