Management is basically applied ecology. Unfortunately in many, perhaps most, cases the underlying ecology is inadequately known, forcing the manager to make dangerous inferences from inadequate data. As a consequence, many management decisions are tentative and often made in such a way as to generate data on which to base more realistic future decisions. Unfortunately the political consequences of this can be devastating. It is politically expedient when making decisions, which are almost always opposed by at least some segment of society, to appear confident of the wisdom of the choice.
Confidence is often the last thing the manager feels.
Basic to any management is the ecosystem involved. An obvious truism is that all phases of the life cycle are essential to a population. If a spawning habitat is made unavailable or a crucial nursery area is destroyed, no degree of fishing restriction or improvement for another stage in the life cycle will help the population. Most species involved in Atlantic coastal marine fisheries are dependent on estuaries for rearing habitat. Estuaries can usually be used for harbors, which leads to construction of cities.