Burr Heneman

Research

Burr Heneman is director of Living Resource Enterprises at Commonweal, located in Bolinas, California. Heneman negotiated and drafted California’s Marine Life Management Act (MLMA). The legislation mandates that all uses of marine life be sustainable, defines “sustainable” as including ecosystem health, and recognizes nonconsumptive uses as being as important as fishing, among other things. Heneman used his Pew fellowship and other funding to help management agencies, fishermen, environmentalists, and marine scientists implement the act and related marine science and management mandates. As a result, California adopted a fishery management plan that includes a blueprint for the transition to ecosystem-based management. Heneman also led an effort to design and initiate a collaborative, ecosystem-based, nearshore monitoring program to provide fishery-independent information for both fisheries management and evaluation of marine protected areas. In addition, the state adopted model commercial fishery restricted-access policies and appropriated new funding for marine management, research, and mapping.

To learn more about Heneman, visit his bio online: http://www.commonweal.org/staff/burr-heneman.