Area Based Management
Zonation map of the Soufrière Marine Management Area, St. Lucia. Image courtesy Soufriere Marine Management Association Inc.
Area Based Management (ABM) refers to a management regime created from spatial information. Like Ecosystem-Based Management and Integrated Coastal Management, ABM tries to incorporate multiple uses when determining protected area status.
ABM, also referred to as marine spatial planning or marine zoning, spatially divides the marine environment for a variety of compatible uses and accounts for the many stressors and threats on an ecosystem. Some management agencies, like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in the USA, support a comprehensive area-based management approach, intended to reduce conflict and promote conservation, by specifying the most appropriate uses for particular marine areas.
Often used in fishery management and MPA planning, ABM focuses on multiple users and multiple threats, by attempting to create a spatial plan that allows for use by many different stakeholders. Some may argue that ABM differs from ICM in name only.
Resources