It is up to the Department and constituents to decide how constituents will be involved. Depending on the situation, the particular issue, and the stage in the decisionmaking process, meaningful involvement may require conversations in person or by telephone, a newsletter, email, small-group discussions, workshops, large meetings, or hearings. In other words, the MLMA does not dictate the form that constituent involvement is to take, but does require that the decisionmaking process be open and meaningful. The MLMA focuses special attention on constituent involvement in marine fisheries management-not only in the development of management plans but in other key activities such as research and implementation of management decisions. This focus does not mean that the Department or the Commission are to abdicate their public trust responsibility to ensure that fisheries are ecologically sustainable.
Collaborative management is encouraged, and dispute resolution mechanisms are in place.
The management system seeks to respond to the concerns of participants in the fishery and to changing conditions in the environment and markets, for instance. As a result, the outcomes of management are much less certain than those of engineering, for instance. The MLMA recognizes the limits of current fisheries management practices and the need to adapt to changing circumstances. It does so by embracing the principle of adaptive management. Monitoring and evaluation of fisheries are needed to detect the effect of the measures.