Integrated governance to manage the dioxin problem of Baltic salmon and herring: potential and challenges

The ecosystem approach to fisheries and marine management entails a shift from singlespecies and single‐sector management to a holistic one that addresses interactions within the ecosystem and between the ecosystem and society, and strives for integrated and adaptive management, involving stakeholders. In the BONUS GOHERR project, we explore the potential of integrated management and governance in solving the dioxin problem of Baltic salmon and herring. An expert workshop will be arranged for creating shared understanding of the salmon‐herring‐dioxin problem and its solution possibilities, and for identifying the main challenges of the existing governance system to support the management of the problem in an integrated way. The workshop focuses on analyzing 1) the potential of systematic communication between the fisheries sector and dioxin experts in managing the problem, and 2) the challenges of breaking down the sector‐based “silo thinking” in order to share knowledge, interests and awareness between sectors. The results of the study will inform the current discussion relating to the implementation of ecosystem based and integrated approaches to fisheries and marine management.