Is there a difference between a harvest strategy and a management procedure?

November 23, 2024

AuthorShana Miller

In most regions, “management procedure” and “harvest strategy” are used synonymously. However, in some regions, like the western Pacific, a management procedure is considered a type of harvest strategy. In that case, the distinction is that a “harvest strategy” is a more general management framework, whereas each component of a “management procedure” is formally specified, and the combination of monitoring data, analysis method, and harvest control rule has been simulation tested using MSE to demonstrate adequately robust performance in the face of plausible uncertainties about stock and fishery dynamics. It is this definition that HarvestStrategies.org uses for “management procedure” and “harvest strategy.”

POSTSOur latest posts

We’re proud to launch ‘Management Procedures for Sustainable Tuna Fisheries’ — a 5-part eLearning course developed w/ the FAO eLearning Academy. This free, open-access series covers topics from setting fishery objectives to testing candidate MPs using MSE:

Scientists from around the world convened last week for a workshop focusing on key considerations, challenges, and approaches for management strategy evaluation (MSE) of blue shark stocks, which compose around 60% of global shark landings.
Read more here:

Recent blogs

Atlantic Herring

October 27, 2025

A North Sea Herring Management Milestone Is on the Horizon

Read more
Elearning

October 9, 2025

MP & MSE 101 – eLearning course launches with FAO!

Read more
Iattc2025event

September 9, 2025

IATTC annual meeting tees up harvest strategy milestones in 2026

Read more

Resources