Policy Making within an Adaptive Management Framework, with an Application to Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) Management

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Abstract
Using lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) rehabilitation in the Laurentian Great Lakes as an example, we combine a policy design process known as "adaptive management" in biological circles with basic concepts found in natural resource economics. Emerging from this synthesis of biological and economic thought is a practical method for making policy choice in fisheries in the presence of biological uncertainty. We introduce this method by first reviewing key biotic uncertainties which impede the progress of lake trout rehabilitation. Drawing upon these uncertainties, a framework is proposed for developing a set of policy options. Included in these options are "actively adaptive" policies which are purposely experimental in hopes of both reviving the lake trout fishery and concurrently yielding data which may alleviate the nagging uncertainties. Using basic concepts from natural resource economics, we then outline how, in the presence of the key uncertainties, the policy which most likely maximizes socioeconomic gains can be chosen from the various options. We conclude with some brief policy implications for lake trout rehabilitation.

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