1991 - 2017 Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Management Strategy Evaluation toolkit for Ecopath with Ecosim (model output and technical report)

This dataset consists of output from a computer model that predicts responses of 69 functional groups from plankton to whales to changing fishing pressure. Scenarios are run using the newly built plug-in (see report) that allows for an assessment of the effect of model parameter uncertainty. The base model is the ICES key-run of EwE for the North Sea described here `http://data.cefas.co.uk/#/View/2847`_ . Format of the data: Zipped csv files covering the hindcast period 1991-2013 (inclusive) with 20 year forecasts. Output includes annual average values for the whole North Sea: For both functional groups and fishing fleets: landings (tonnage and value, £), discards (tonnage),for functional groups only: biomass (tonnage) and fishing mortality (split by landings and discards), for fishing fleets only: fishing effort relative to 1990. Also identified are 'choke species' that lead to closure of fisheries. The report (pdf) describes the development of a tool for assessing the effect of model parameter uncertainty on the performance of management options simulated using an ecosystem model. It provides the rationale, description of methods and algorithms, and a step-by-step guide for users of the tool. While the interface of the tool is designed to be user friendly, the setup of input files and its application requires a thorough understanding of the parameterisation of Ecopath models, advanced experience with Ecosim and understanding of Management Strategy Evaluation procedures. .. _`http://data.cefas.co.uk/#/view/2847`: http://data.cefas.co.uk/#/View/2847