The ESSIM Plan

The Eastern Scotian Shelf Integrated Management (ESSIM) Initiative is a collaborative ocean planning process being led and facilitated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) under the Oceans Act . The primary aim of the Initiative is to develop and implement an Integrated Ocean Management Plan for this large marine region. This multi-year, strategic level plan will provide long-term direction and a common basis for integrated, ecosystem-based and adaptive management of all marine activities.

In February 2005, the ESSIM Planning Office released a draft Integrated Ocean Management Plan to stakeholders for consideration. The Plan focuses on management needs and priorities related to multiple ocean use, ecosystem and resource conservation, and management coordination. It is intended to address management issues related to access to ocean space and marine resources, and those involving ecosystem pressures and impacts, including cumulative effects stemming from multiple human activities. The Plan also addresses management issues requiring interdepartmental and intergovernmental policy and regulatory coordination.

Collaborative planning

The Plan is being developed through a collaborative and inclusive planning process. This means that the work of developing the Plan is being done by all sectors and stakeholders through a consensus-based approach. The proposed collaborative planning model includes mechanisms for intergovernmental policy and program coordination, and effective participation by all stakeholders in all aspects of the planning process. The intention of the collaborative process is to develop a Plan that is accepted by all stakeholders, endorsed by all management and regulatory authorities, and approved under the Oceans Act by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

The collaborative planning model includes the following four main components:

•  The ESSIM Forum – an inclusive assembly of all interested organizations and individuals, which provides opportunities for discussion, information sharing, and input into the planning process. The Forum meets en masse every 12-24 months at large workshops and more regularly through small working groups and online.

•  A multi-stakeholder advisory body – a proposed core, representative multi-stakeholder working group to provide regular input, advice and support to the planning process.

•  The Government Sector – a partnership of federal and provincial departments to provide intergovernmental coordination and support to the planning process.

•  The Planning Office – made up of DFO staff to provide leadership and expertise in planning, coordination and support for the planning process, and communication with stakeholders and external agencies.

An objectives-based approach

The Plan incorporates an objectives-based approach to ocean management. It contains a set of long-term, overarching ecosystem, and human use objectives to support agreed-upon outcomes for environmental, economic, social and institutional aspects of the planning area. These high-level objectives are supported by operational objectives for which specific indicators and reference points are being developed. Management strategies and actions to support the achievements of the objectives are also outlined in the Plan. Interrelationships among ecosystem and human use objectives have been recognized and reflected in the identification of management actions.

The initial set of management objectives contained in the draft Plan focuses on ecosystem and human use aspects that transcend individual marine sectors, such as access to ocean space by multiple ocean users, or ecosystem components that are affected by several human activities. In many cases, operational objectives are expressed in terms of research and monitoring requirements designed to increase our level of information and understanding of particular aspects of the marine system. In cases where management strategies can be specified for an objective, the Plan is intended to enable sector-based management processes to reflect the intent of the objective and adopt appropriate management actions to support it.

Improving existing management processes

The Plan will function as an umbrella for various ocean sector management processes and will be built on and supported by existing management jurisdictions and responsibilities. Regulatory authorities will remain responsible and accountable for implementing management policies and measures within their established mandates and jurisdiction.

The Plan is not intended to provide a detailed prescription of all measures required to achieve its management objectives. Rather, the aim of the Plan is to augment or enhance existing decision-making processes by linking sector planning and management to an overarching set of management objectives and targets. In many cases, this will be accomplished by reference and linkages within the Plan to existing management plans and mechanisms. The Plan will provide options or recommendations for adoption by sector-based management processes to support broader objectives and desired outcomes and conditions.

Timelines for developing and implementing the plan

The draft Plan was reviewed by stakeholders during the 3rd ESSIM Forum Workshop in February 2005. Although a number of recommendations for improvements to the document emerged, stakeholders generally indicated their support for moving forward with it. Consequently the ESSIM Planning Office is releasing the draft Plan for broader public review over the spring, summer and fall of 2005. Based on feedback from the review, the document will be revised and further developed by the Stakeholder Roundtable. Once consensus on the document has been reached, the Plan will be recommended for final stakeholder acceptance and endorsement by decision-making authorities, leading to approval under the Oceans Act in 2006.

Action plans will be developed every 2-3 years as part of the plan implementation process. The Planning Office will begin developing an initial action plan in the fall of 2005. These action plans will provide further detail, including timelines and targets, for the implementation of management strategies and actions. As the planning process evolves, monitoring and performance measurement mechanisms will be established to enable regular evaluation and reporting on the Plan's objectives.

Get Involved

Public and stakeholder review of the draft Plan has been ongoing since February, 2005. A revised draft of the Plan, incorporating feedback received to date, will be released for final stakeholder review over the summer of 2006. The review process has included public workshops, meetings with stakeholder groups, and collection of written comments. All interested groups and individuals are encouraged to participate. To facilitate public consideration of the draft Plan, the Planning Office has prepared an overview document entitled Working Together for Our Ocean and Our Future which provides a summary of the draft Plan and the review process. Individuals who are familiar with the ESSIM Initiative may prefer to refer directly to the draft Integrated Oceans Management Plan, or contact the Planning Office for the most recent revised draft. Once you have reviewed the Plan, please submit any comments that you may have through the online feedback form or by e-mail, telephone, or in writing to the Planning Office. Interested organizations are also invited to meet with the Planning Office at their convenience to discuss the draft Plan. Please contact the Planning Office for more details.

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