Small pelagic fish (SPF) are critical components of marine ecosystems, providing vital ecological and economic services. They serve as a primary food source for larger predators, including marine mammals, seabirds, and other fish species. However, SPF communities are increasingly threatened by various anthropogenic stressors in addition to fisheries, particularly those stemming from infrastructure development. Stressors related to the construction of offshore wind farms and associated infrastructure, dredging for shipping lanes, or the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals pose significant risks to SPF populations. These activities introduce stressors, including underwater noise, suspended sediment, altered currents and many more, all of which can affect SPF behavior, reproduction, migrations, and habitat use. Understanding and assessing the vulnerability of SPF communities to these infrastructure-related stressors is crucial for informing sustainable management practices and minimizing ecological impact. This workshop aims to develop a structured approach for assessing the vulnerability of SPF communities to these anthropogenic stressors across regions and species.

The primary objectives of the workshop are to:

1. introduce key concepts of vulnerability, exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity in the context of SPF communities;
2. identify and prioritize anthropogenic stressors relevant to regional SPF populations;
3. develop a conceptual framework for conducting vulnerability assessments; and
4. identify sets of relevant traits across keystone SPF species.

Participants will collaboratively develop a vulnerability analysis framework based on the following key elements:

• Exposure: This refers to the degree to which SPF communities are exposed to anthropogenic stressors like underwater noise (from construction and operational activities of wind farms, shipping lanes, and LNG terminals), sediment suspension (turbidity from dredging and other activities), and changes in hydrodynamic conditions (due to alterations in current patterns caused by structures).
  
  
• Sensitivity: The intrinsic biological traits that make SPF communities vulnerable to these stressors, such as their reliance on specific habitat types (e.g., estuaries, shallow coastal waters), sensitive life stages (e.g., larvae or juvenile stages), and migration patterns that may be disrupted by noise and hydrodynamic changes. The sensitivity of different SPF species and life stages will vary based on their dependence on these areas and behaviors.
  
  
• Adaptive Capacity: This measures the ability of SPF species and ecosystems to adapt to or recover from the impacts of these stressors. It includes species mobility, behavioral plasticity (e.g., shifting to alternative habitats), ecosystem resilience (e.g., recovery of habitats affected by sedimentation or noise), genetic diversity, and life history traits.

The workshop aims to develop a cross-sectoral activity committed to advancing knowledge-based management advice. The vulnerability assessment framework developed during the workshop is intended to result in a joint publication assessing the generalities and specifics of SPF vulnerability to ocean modifications and can be used to evaluate potential mitigation strategies.

Email W1 Corresponding Convenor

Although environmental indicators are increasingly incorporated into stock assessments of marine fishes to inform demographic processes like recruitment, growth, and natural mortality, with the aim of improving model and management performance, recent efforts have rarely featured small pelagic fishes (SPF) (e.g., Haltuch and Punt 2011; Miller et al. 2016; Haltuch et al. 2019a; Haltuch et al. 2019b; Punt et al. 2024). Furthermore, data-rich assessments are rare for SPF worldwide, and the value of environmental data for more data-limited assessments is unclear. This workshop will explore when and how environmental indicators may be integrated into and improve the performance of SPF assessments, ranging from relatively data-rich to data-limited.

The workshop will address:

1. case studies demonstrating predictive ability of indicators for SPF demographic processes, including recruitment, growth, mortality, and spatial distribution;
2. observed approaches, successes, and challenges in incorporating environmental indicators into SPF stock assessments; and
3. recommended criteria for deciding to integrate environmental indicators into assessments (i.e., when and in what ways can their incorporation improve the performance or value of assessments?).

Time-permitting, participants may also consider the broader use of environmental indicators in management, external to stock assessments (e.g., risk tables, traffic-light frameworks; Dorn and Zador 2020).

After brief presentations introducing the workshop scope and relevant case studies, participants can expect to be involved in guided information sharing, brainstorming, and synthesis pertinent to workshop objectives. Discussions are intended to illuminate common challenges and solutions to integrating environmental indicators in SPF assessments across varied study systems. As the workshop is anticipated to result in a peer-reviewed manuscript, discussions will conclude with an outline of future synthesis steps.

The peer-reviewed manuscript is expected to include the following components: synthesis of relevant research and assessment efforts, summary of lessons learned specific to case studies involving SPF, identification of research gaps (and proposed future analyses), and updated recommended practices for integrating environmental indicators into SPF assessments.

Email W2 Corresponding Convenor

The workshop will bring together experts involved in surveying small pelagic communities to explore how emerging technologies and analytic methods can enhance or complement traditional survey approaches. This includes integrating new tools into existing platforms, for example, using eDNA, satellite data, or camera systems to produce more efficient and better integrated abundance indices than traditional trawl or acoustic-trawl surveys. We will also discuss the potential for un-crewed surface vehicles (USVs), such as sail drones, to augment or replace ship-based operations. The workshop will review advances data processing, analysis and integration methods, including machine learning, statistical modeling, and the incorporation of Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge (ITK), to improve the value of both historical and contemporary datasets.

A key objective is to bridge the gap between monitoring innovation and management application. To that end, the workshop will actively engage with stock assessment modelers and policy makers, who play a critical role in evaluating how new data streams can be incorporated into assessment frameworks and inform decision-making.

The format of the workshop will be a mix of key overview presentations, case studies that can inform best practices of integrating emerging survey tools into management and open discussions to bring out key insights that can provide guidance.

We anticipate compiling case studies presented at the workshop to form the basis of a research paper that would include a systematic comparison of traditional and emerging survey tools and approaches based on key criteria (types of abundance proxies, scalability potential across different ecosystems and species, practical implementation considerations, survey costs, etc.). The aim is to offer practical guidance for researchers, managers, and agencies operating under diverse resource and operational constraints.

Email W3 Corresponding Convenor

This workshop aims to develop a strategy and approach to initiate and coordinate further engagement of the fishing industry in setting priorities for research to inform fishery management. The intent is to enable discussions with fisheries scientists, managers, and industry representatives to explore how to develop and/or leverage existing approaches to solicit feedback from industry and determine what stakeholders expect from the fisheries research community. Industry is often motivated by particular objectives (e.g., maintain health of exploited stocks, access particular waters). Science is motivated by research questions. To facilitate more productive exchange between these two sectors to inform management, discussions will aim at determining effective means to translate objectives into research questions and priorities. This workshop will inform subsequent efforts to conduct directed surveys of industry leads and fisheries managers and reviews of management documents and frameworks.

In advance of the workshop, participants will be asked to identify management- and industry-informed research priorities in their region and outline existing mechanisms to solicit priorities within existing fishery science and management structures. In the workshop, breakout sessions will be held to detail existing or proposed models and frameworks and to identify challenges and next steps. A plenary session will then re-convene the group to report back and facilitate broader discussion.

A special workshop report will be prepared. The intent is to also develop a manuscript, or, if there is sufficient interest, a special issue with multiple manuscripts. Participants will be requested to help create a questionnaire to solicit industry perspectives and priorities. The manuscript and associated efforts subsequent to the workshop will aim to:

• inventory processes to solicit industry input and identify information gaps and research priorities;
• review fisheries management forums to synthesize industry testimony and input;
• survey fishery managers of small pelagic stocks;
• survey fishing industry representatives of small pelagic stocks;
• analyze and collate research priorities and needs;
• analyze and propose mechanisms to solicit industry priorities for science;
• work with fishery management councils (US), ICES (Europe) and similar management forums to secure relevant data, determine existing processes, and inform future efforts.

Email W4 Corresponding Convenor

This workshop will explore how paleoceanographic reconstructions can improve our understanding of long-term variability in the abundance, distribution, and ecology of small pelagic fishes (SPF), such as sardines and anchovies. Focusing on both Eastern and Western Boundary Current systems, we aim to:

1. Examine new methods to test existing paradigms and address emerging questions in SPF ecology;
2. Link paleorecords of past fish populations and environmental variability with climate models and present-day observations; and
3. Identify insights from paleo-studies that can inform future climate adaptation strategies.

The workshop will include a 20-minute keynote reviewing the main topics for discussion, a mix of short oral presentations (10 min max) and roundtable discussions. We welcome works on:

• Case studies of paleo-reconstructions or paleo-climatological modeling efforts, involving or relevant to forage species ecology;
• Methodological overviews on the potential and requirements of novel paleo-climatological and paleo-ecological techniques; and
• Conceptual questions and hypotheses that paleo-climatological and paleo-ecological disciplines may approach.

We aim to produce a white paper summarizing key insights, methodological advances, and emerging research questions. The document will also serve as an inventory of ideas for future research proposals. A workshop report will be shared with participants and relevant stakeholders.

Email W5 Corresponding Convenor

With accelerating climate variability and shifting ecosystem dynamics, understanding the drivers of the variability of the spatial and spatio-temporal distribution of small pelagic fish (SPF) has become both scientifically urgent and methodologically demanding. The growing availability of high-resolution ecological datasets offers new opportunities – but also presents new challenges – in terms of integrating, analyzing, and interpreting complex spatio-temporal patterns in SPF populations. This workshop aims to bring together specialists in species distribution modeling, spatial statistics, and researchers interested in analyzing and interpreting spatial distribution of SPF using fisheries dependent and independent data, to address these challenges head-on. The workshop will serve as a critical interface between advanced statistical approaches and applied ecosystem science, fostering dialogue across disciplines. By building capacity and promoting cross-sector collaboration, the workshop directly contributes to the overarching objectives of the 2026 Small Pelagic Fish Symposium: advancing interdisciplinary strategies to inform ecosystem-based fisheries management in the face of ongoing environmental change.

The workshop objectives are to:

• Explore the role of spatial and spatio-temporal statistics in understanding SPF population dynamics by introducing the main concepts of spatial statistics;
• Identify key data challenges (e.g., zero-inflated data, sampling issues, limits and physical barriers);
• Introduce, compare, and discuss recent development in spatial and spatio-temporal species distribution modeling – including hierarchical, Bayesian, and joint approaches – with a focus on applicability to SPF;
• Encourage cross-disciplinary and cross-regional collaboration, promoting integration of datasets, sharing of modeling frameworks, and development of best practices.

Anticipated outcomes include: (1) a workshop report, (2) a review article focused on species distribution data challenges and the methodological strategies to address them, with emphasis on practical examples from SPF systems, and (3) development or curation of shared databases to support future collaborative research.

Email W6 Corresponding Convenor

Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) has long been recognized as a need in both domestic and international fisheries policy, yet integration of climate and ecosystem considerations into fisheries management remains limited. Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) offers a path forward for operationalizing EBFM, developing adaptive management procedures that have clear ecological objectives and are tested for their robustness to ecological uncertainties and under changing ocean conditions. This capability makes MSE a powerful tool for progressing sustainable management of forage and other short-lived species whose populations are highly variable and environmentally driven. Developing effective management strategies for forage species is critical given their global exploitation by large-scale fisheries and role in marine food webs as essential prey, including for other valuable, commercially-targeted species. We are hosting a half-day workshop to progress the operationalization of EBFM in forage fisheries using MSE-tested management procedures by convening experts and interested participants across diverse regions and target stocks to discuss critical barriers, highlight successful MSE case studies and resources, identify relevant ecosystem indicators for forage species, and inspire future EBFM efforts.

The format of the workshop will be a combination of background, case study, and methodological presentations followed by small group break-out work and a final group synthesis discussion. The workshop will open with a context-setting presentation on the ecosystem services provided by forage species, framing their ecological importance within the broader goals of EBFM. Subsequent presentations will highlight case studies—both domestic and from international Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs)—that demonstrate the use of ecological reference points, incorporation of environmental drivers, and multi-species modeling within MSE frameworks. Special attention will be given to management challenges unique to short-lived, highly variable, and/or data-poor stocks, including squid species. The workshop will also showcase a new tool under development within the openMSE software platform, designed to incorporate climate-related impacts on target species in an MSE framework. Following presentations, breakout groups will discuss region- and stock-specific considerations for operationalizing EBFM. Discussions will focus on identifying key drivers of variability, potential ecosystem indicators, accounting for ecosystem services, critical data needs, feasible modeling approaches, and the remaining hurdles to bridge science and management. A final group session will synthesize shared challenges, key drivers, and feasible ecosystem indicators for MSE, highlight common data and implementation needs, and identify opportunities for collaboration on joint research and/or funding efforts.

Anticipated outcomes of the workshop include a summary report synthesizing key discussions, case studies, challenges, and resources for incorporating ecosystem considerations in MSE frameworks for forage species. Participants will help develop a focused list of ecosystem indicators best-suited for use in MSE for forage species and a matrix of regional and/or stock-specific needs, highlighting common challenges, data gaps, and opportunities for collaboration. The workshop summary report may be converted into a white paper for submission to relevant RFMO scientific bodies.

Email W7 Corresponding Convenor

Small pelagic fish are essential to marine ecosystems as intermediaries between lower and upper trophic levels. Additionally, these species are central to food security and human nutrition, providing high-quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals. This workshop will explore how nutrient composition varies within and among small pelagic species, how this variation is influenced by environmental and ecological drivers, the impact of these species on food security, and how such knowledge can inform ecosystem-based fisheries management. Participants will discuss how integrating nutrient yield into management frameworks and considering food cultures could enhance both ecological and human wellbeing.

The workshop will include opening remarks (10 min), 3–4 invited keynote presentations (10 min each), panel discussion or breakout groups on research gaps and management pathways, and a wrap-up session to summarize outcomes and recommendations.

The workshop aims to bridge gaps between fisheries science, nutritional ecology, and management to promote new approaches that go beyond biomass-focused strategies and support nutritional sustainability in North Pacific systems. This workshop is a critical component for the ICES Food Security and Nutrition working group and is a collaboration with the Aquatic Foods Community of Practice (Aquatic Foods CoP). Outputs of this workshop will include: (1) a summary article of the roundtable discussion to be published in PICES newsletter, and (2) a policy brief or guidance document based on the workshop conclusions.

Email W8 Corresponding Convenor

The productivity and sensitivity of small pelagic fish (SPF) populations to fisheries harvest is co-determined by a range of biological processes, such as early life stage survival, individual growth, condition, egg production, and interactions with predators. Fieldwork and models can quantify these processes, but only in some cases are they systematically considered in management. Successful operational implementation of models depends on uncertainty and the skill of the model to represent historical and future system processes and states. This session will explore recent advances in quantification of SPF population drivers, their application in management, and obstacles and opportunities to ensure that ecological models and data are informative, transparent, and effectively communicated to fisheries managers, policy makers, and stakeholders.

This session will focus on advancing the science, accessibility, and practical application of ecological models and data and will consider single- and multi-species population dynamics models, food-web models, and fully coupled ocean-biogeochemical-ecosystem models. We invite contributions that demonstrate innovative model developments, data integration approaches, model performance assessment, and successful examples of operationalizing these tools for management advice. Particular attention will be given to collaborative approaches that are co-developed models with stakeholders (e.g., fishers and management end-users) and enhance the adaptability of modelling frameworks to address shifting ecological baselines under climate change.

We encourage presentations exploring, e.g., the following research questions:

• What advances have been made in integrating environmental drivers and ecosystem indicators into models and management decisions for SPF? In which cases have ecological models and short- and long-term forecasts influenced fishery management decisions or policy?
• What are key components and processes to include in ecological models? How can model complexity best be balanced with applicability and communication of results for decision making?
• What advances have been made in using output from ocean and biogeochemical models, coupling between lower and higher trophic levels, and evaluating trade-offs among ecosystem services (e.g., forage provision to predators, biodiversity conservation, fisheries yield) to inform ecosystem-based and climate-adaptive management for SPF?
• How can ecological models capture uncertainty and communicate risk to support precautionary and adaptive management approaches? How can we improve the accessibility, interoperability, and uptake of ecological model output in an SPF management framework?

Email S1 Corresponding Convenors

Much of the past research on the population dynamics of small pelagic species and communities has focused on the impact of fishing pressure, climate variability, and climate change on this resource base. However, a broader range of anthropogenic stressors can impact forage species, including eutrophication, chemical and microplastic pollution, disturbances to the sound scape, dredging, and offshore energy development. Frequently, policy makers ask researchers to provide advice on potential impacts of these activities to forage species. The advice is often requested in absence of an established and robust monitoring or research program that can thoroughly assess impacts of the proposed anthropogenic activity relative to control sites or ecological baselines.

This session aims to synthesize knowledge of such anthropogenic impacts across study systems and different species, particularly using trait-based approaches, so that we can better evaluate patterns and provide more comprehensive advice when requested. Presentations are expected to link these stressors to changes in small pelagic species habitat use, migratory behavior, reproductive dynamics, and demographic processes, such as growth rates, mortality, and recruitment. We welcome contributions that use innovative approaches to study these issues, such as passive acoustic monitoring, eDNA, uncrewed monitoring platforms, and new biophysical modeling approaches. Studies emphasizing cumulative impacts across multiple stressors are also encouraged.

Email S2 Corresponding Convenor

Changes in life history traits (e.g., size-at-age across life stages, size-at-maturity, fecundity, body condition, life span) and vital rates (e.g., growth and mortality) are increasingly reported for small pelagic fish (SPF) communities. However, the processes driving these changes remain poorly understood. The complex processes behind the variations may be a combination of bottom-up processes under the influence of climate regimes and top-down control under varying fishing or predation mortality. Phenomena, such as age- or size-truncation at the population level, may severely impact population dynamics and resilience. Decrease in population productivity and size-structure, in turn, can reduce the energy transfer to upper trophic levels. Moreover, there are signs that SPF fishing sectors are impacted by changes in body condition, particularly reductions in body size and fat content. Together these shifts in life history and vital rates can have substantial implications for populations, ecosystems, and fisheries management.

This session seeks to explore how variation in life history traits and vital rates across spatial (e.g., within and between stocks) and temporal scales affects small pelagic and other forage fish populations, as well as the ecosystems and human activities that depend on them. We welcome contributions from both marine and inland systems that address:

• Drivers of variation – Studies investigating the ecological and environmental drivers of changes in life history traits and vital rates across all life stages, using field observations, experimental research, or modeling approaches;
• Population-level consequences – Analyses of how changes in traits (like growth, fecundity, and mortality) affect population structure and dynamics, including implications for resilience, long-term productivity, and the integration of trait variability into stock assessment frameworks;
• Trophic implications – Investigations into how changes at the individual or population level cascade through food webs, potentially amplifying effects at higher trophic levels;
• Impacts on the fishing sector – Evaluations of how altered fish quality, such as reductions in size and fat content, affect fishery yield, market value, and operational strategies, and the need for adaptation in the fishing industry.

By bringing together diverse approaches and perspectives, this session aims to advance our understanding of how shifting life history patterns influence the ecological role and management of SPF and forage species in a rapidly changing world.

Email S3 Corresponding Convenor

Forage species are found across all aquatic ecosystems, spanning the mesopelagic realm of the open ocean, eastern boundary currents, coastal, estuarine, and freshwater habitats where they play crucial roles in food web dynamics, acting as key intermediaries in energy and nutrient transfer between plankton and higher trophic levels. These species and the food webs they are part of face complex environmental pressures, from large scale climate forcing to local habitat modification, that are changing prey quantity and quality, metabolic demands, and predation exposure, leading to cascading effects throughout aquatic ecosystems.

This session welcomes contributions on all aspects of trophodynamic processes involving forage fish. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to,

• The influence of climate variability on the phenology, abundance, and composition of key prey taxa;
• The impact of non-climate anthropogenic stressors on food web processes that forage fish depend on;
• The use of traditional, molecular, biochemical, and numerical modelling techniques to better quantify and predict trophic dynamics; and
• The role of forage fish as consumers, competitors, and prey, including their availability, nutritional quality, and influence on predator foraging behaviour and population dynamics.

The session aims to integrate findings from diverse aquatic environments to enhance our collective understanding of how climate change and other anthropogenic stressors are impacting food web processes critical to small pelagic fish, and the implications of these changes for the future of aquatic ecosystems.

Email S4 Corresponding Convenor

Small pelagic fishes (SPF) play a crucial ecological and economic role in marine ecosystems worldwide. Their abundance, distribution, and migration patterns exhibit pronounced variability across spatial and temporal scales in response to environmental fluctuations, ranging from short-term extreme events to long-term climate oscillations. Recent advances in observational technologies, analytical tools, and ecosystem modeling have enhanced our understanding of SPF habitat use, population dynamics, and ecosystem interactions. Nevertheless, traditional “univariate” approaches, focused on temporal variability have been insufficient to fully capture the complexity of SPF dynamics. There is a need to explicitly incorporate spatial dimensions into fisheries modeling, enabling a more integrated spatial-temporal understanding of fish populations and their environments. Distribution shifts may have consequences for community composition, marine food webs, ecosystem dynamics and socio-economic systems. The underlying mechanisms driving such movements across single and multiple scales remain poorly understood. Also, it is still unclear whether consistent patterns exist across species and regions. This uncertainty complicates efforts to forecast future changes.

Improving knowledge of SPF distribution, migration, and population connectivity is essential for enhancing stock assessments, developing adaptive fishery management strategies, and understanding broader population dynamics under environmental variability. This session invites contributions that incorporate spatiotemporal perspectives to provide new insights into the ecology and dynamics of SPF and extend, challenge, or refine existing paradigms. Interdisciplinary and comparative regional studies are welcome, as well as innovative methodological approaches. Presentations addressing, but not limited to, the following topics are encouraged:

• Distribution shifts, migration and connectivity among stocks, meta-populations, and species;
• Mechanistic links between environmental variability (e.g., seasonal, interannual, extreme events, and decadal oscillations) and SPF spatial dynamics;
• Ecological impacts of spatial shifts in SPF populations, including effects on predator-prey interactions, trophic cascades, and others;
• The influence of SPF spatial dynamics on interpretations of phenological changes;
• Case studies of SPF spatial responses to recent extreme oceanographic events (e.g., marine heatwaves, hypoxia).

Email S5 Corresponding Convenor

The ecosystem approach to fisheries provides a holistic framework for managing fisheries, that balances human needs with ecosystem well-being. This session will (1) explore the management of small-pelagic fisheries (SPF) in marine and inland waters using an ecosystem approach, focusing on experiences, good practices, and challenges across various contexts (local, national, regional); (2) discuss how well current management strategies are meeting social and ecological objectives, identifying key knowledge gaps that hinder progress; (3) examine the role of regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) and other collaborative arrangements for the assessment and management of transboundary SPF resources, highlighting successes and obstacles; and (4) address the need for adaptive strategies to tackle the impacts of climate change and variability on both small-scale and industrial SPF fisheries, with an eye toward enhancing resilience and sustainability.

Presentations are invited on the following topics:

• Integrating social, economic, and ecological dimensions of SPF in fisheries assessment and management;
• Assessment and management of transboundary SPF resources;
• Adapting fisheries management to climate change and other stressors;
• Practical experiences in participatory fisheries management: strengthening collaboration between science, industry and management.

Email S6 Corresponding Convenor

The small pelagic fisheries sector plays a crucial role, not only in global food security and economics, but also for the livelihoods of millions of fishers, fish workers, and fishing communities. Prioritizing the human dimension of small pelagic fisheries is essential. Many fishers and fish workers within these fisheries face precarious employment, inadequate safety measures, and limited access to essential services, emphasizing the urgent need to ensure decent work in the sector. Measuring social aspects in the sector is crucial for understanding their impact on economic growth and achieving sustainability. However, quantifying these social issues poses significant challenges due to their complex and often subjective nature, which can vary widely across different communities and contexts.

This session will analyze the importance of measuring the social dimension of small pelagic fisheries and its potential implications on medium-/long-term economic growth. Presentations are invited in the following topics:

• Relevant parameters and indicators for assessing the social dimensions of fisheries management;
• Integrating robust, social metrics into fisheries management to foster sustainable practices that balance economic growth with social equity;
• Accurate measurements that address the needs of fishers and fish workers and related to issues that could hamper long-term economic growth;
• Case studies and practical experiences in improving decent working conditions of fishers and fish workers, as well as their impact on the economic dimension;
• Climate-resilient, socially equitable management of small pelagic fisheries, particularly examples that include community involvement.

Email S7 Corresponding Convenor

Small pelagic fish, such as anchovies and sardines, are processed into fishmeal and fish oil or used directly for human consumption in canned, smoked, or frozen forms. Market dynamics are influenced by environmental factors, aquaculture demand, and sustainability frameworks like certification and eco-labeling. However, seasonal landings can overwhelm the demand and infrastructure for human consumption. The fishmeal and fish oil industry helps stabilize surplus raw materials, while improved use of fish by-products can further reduce waste. Maximizing post-harvest efficiency aligns with FAO’s goal of global food security, as nearly half of harvested fish is lost before reaching consumers.

This session will explore strategies to enhance sustainability, reduce waste, and optimize the role of small pelagic fisheries in the global food system. Presentations are invited on the following topics:

• Shifting market preferences: The future of small pelagics in fishmeal and fish oil vs. direct human consumption;
• The role of certification and eco-labeling in small pelagic trade;
• How certification and market incentives influence sustainable fishing practices;
• Reducing food loss and waste in small pelagic fisheries;
• Utilizing fish by-products: A circular economy approach in fisheries.

Email S8 Corresponding Convenor

In the real world, fishers and managers must constantly cope with and adapt to the dynamics of small pelagic species, which exhibit noisy boom-bust dynamics, range shifts, and a propensity to cross national boundaries. Additionally, market incentives such as relative prices (which may be endogenously affected by dynamics of small pelagic species), travel cost and fishing risk, among other variables, are important components in the fishers’ decisions of what, where and how much to catch. In contrast, analytical tools and models of the small pelagic species and their ecosystems often assume constant fishing rates, constant catches, or full quota attainment. These are simplifying assumptions that do not capture the complex decision making process of fishers and managers, yet human decisions influence stock abundance and catch rates, alongside biophysical drivers of the ecosystem.

In this session we invite applied researchers to share their methodologies for modeling fisher and manager responses to fluctuating opportunities. We particularly encourage participants to share methods, both qualitative and quantitative, including analytical frameworks, code repositories, and ingredients for further technical collaboration on this global problem. This session will complement session 6 (“Managing Small-Pelagic Fisheries within an Ecosystem Approach: Lessons, Challenges, and Outlook”), but here we focus on model development and analytical tools that are necessary to represent humans in socio-ecological small pelagic systems.

Presentations are invited on the following topics:

• Fisher participation and location choices related to fluctuating population size and location of dynamic small pelagic stocks, and how this is mediated by factors such as vessel mobility, permits, and markets;
• Game theoretic approaches to model potential for cooperation among fishers and nations, including for transboundary stocks;
• Models of market demand, prices, and quota attainment conditional on species dynamics;
• Conceptual or quantitative causal models of fishery conflict, and opportunities for cooperation and shared decision making processes;
• Qualitative network approaches that embed fishers and managers within socio-ecological systems thinking;
• Models and analysis of other human choices within small pelagic socio-ecological systems, for instance among shoreside workers and other members of fishing communities.

Email S9 Corresponding Convenor