Science and policy in marine resource management

This note discuses the problem of handling uncertainty in the management of marine resources. In one approach, "science first," scientific questions of fact are addressed first. Once it is concluded that there is a high probability that there is a problem, the analysis preceeds to value questions, where the costs and benefits of possible remedies are weighed. In the alternative "policy first" approach, value questions are addressed at the beginning. The note suggests that both approaches are needed and can be fitted together using a framework of statistical decision theory.