Why ecosystem-based management may fail without changes to tool development and financing

Resource managers rely on tools to enact ecosystem-based management (EBM) principles and frequently express frustration at the difficulty
of use and unreliability of available tools. EBM tool developers lack the consistent, long-term funding needed to develop high-quality tools.
Through interviews, we determined several reasons for this funding problem including: (a) most EBM tools are developed by academics rather
than software professionals and (b) most tools are offered at no cost These factors create a double-edged sword for managers who cannot afford
high license fees or to waste time with low-quality unmaintained products. Without a fundamental shift in tool funding and development, many
potentially useful tools will remain poorly implemented and underused. Without a significant increase in the number of high-quality EBM tools,
governmental mandates to implement EBM will remain unfulfilled. This problem can be addressed if both developers and funders change the
ways in which they seek and grant financial support.