Barriers to implementation of dynamic reference points in fisheries management

Fish populations are dynamic; their productivity depends on the environment, predator and prey interactions, fisheries harvest rates. Failure to account for these factors in science management can lead a misestimation of stock dynamics productivity, resulting overexploitation or forgone yield. Using an online survey, we asked scientists, industry stakeholders, Indigenous partners, non-governmental organizations whether changing ecosystem was problem experience, how often dynamic approaches reference points have been adopted, what methods had used, they applied to. Changing reported as issue by 96% respondents; however, 74% respondents said never seen implemented, 16% very few instances, while 10% frequently. The most common barriers implementation were institutional inertia uncertainty about change lasting. We discuss trade-offs between performance stability.