Integrating Science and Policy:

1. Integrating Science and Policy: The role of science in decision-making

2. Science vs Management Science involves: Management involves: • Very narrow questions • Few variables • Controlled experimental conditions • None of these 2

3. Management and science Management Decisions 3

4. The management “niche” An n-dimensional hypervolumebounded by the limits of tolerance to science, law, and policy considerations (with apologies to G. Evelyn Hutchinson) 4

5. Influencing policy • We can be wrong: Interesting to scientists, death to policy making • We disagree: Challenge and debate are essential to good science; lack of consensus confuses policy making • We are uncertain: Nature of the beast, but difficult to accommodate in policymaking 5

6. Different technical disciplines – “If your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail” • Population dynamics • Ecology • Hydrology • Genetics • Nutrition/fish health • Traditional ecological knowledge – tribal cultural perspectives • Which is “best available”? Which, what, whose science? 6

7. Demographics“Density effects” Crowding + Competition + Predation = lower survival OR Genetics? “Hatchery effects” Genetic selection - Altered behavior - Fitness loss = lower survival

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9. Policy considerations: • Correct diagnosis of the problem? • What level of confidence? • Appropriate remedies • Risk structure: How are the risks and benefits distributed? • Does the evidence indicate that a change in policy is warranted or prudent? Review Framework 9

10. Yakama Nation FisheriesIntegrating Science and Policy Steve Parker (pars@yakamafish-nsn.gov)