The importance of industrial and socio-economic considerations for maritime management and newly developed ecosystem based management plans

Commercial maritime management activities have significant industrial and socio-economic dimensions that need to be addressed from the onset of the policy planning and policy-making process. This commentary addresses the importance of industrial and socio-economic dimensions and the need to formalize their role in newly developed ecosystem based fisheries management plans that are currently being considered in the USA. It builds upon a discussion presented in this journal by Everett (2005).