The ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) emerged in 2001 by FAO.It took into account the important impact of ecosystem on fisheries and added the concerns about the ecological framework into fisheries management.EAF based on two theories,the ecosystem management and fisheries management,proposing the EAF framework:basing on the dependency of ecosystem health and human welfare,paying attention to multi-species management,balancing the three dimensions targets of the ecology,the humanities and the mechanism,and aiming to achieve the fisheries sustainable development.This paper mainly describes the origin,definition,basic principle and elements of EAF,and briefly introduces the practice foundation of EAF and the model construction,and finally compares the EAF with EBFM(ecosystem-based fisheries management).Although the objectives,content and paradigm of EAF are clear,the EAF relative lack of practical experience which is still in improvement and development phase.EAF is the developing prospect of fishery management.The introduction and study of EAF is very important for improving the sustainable development of fisheries in China.