Integrating Science-Based Co-management, Partnerships, Participatory Processes and Stewardship Incentives to Improve the Performance of Small-Scale Fisheries

Abstract

Small scale fisheries are critically important for the provision of food security, livelihoods, and economic development for billions of people. Yet, most of these fisheries appear to not be achieving either fisheries or conservation goals, with respect to creating healthier oceans that support more fish, feed more people and improve livelihoods. Research and practical experience have elucidated many insights into how to improve the performance of small-scale fisheries. Here, we present lessons learned from five case studies of small-scale fisheries in Cuba, Mexico, the Philippines, and Belize. The major lessons that arise from these cases are: (1) participatory processes empower fishers, increase compliance, and support integration of local and scientific knowledge; (2) partnership across sectors improves communication and community buy-in; (3) scientific analysis can lead fishery reform and be directly applicable to co-management structures. These case studies suggest that a fully integrated approach that implements a participatory process to generate a scientific basis for fishery management (e.g., data collection, analysis, design) and to design management measures among stakeholders will increase the probability that small-scale fisheries will implement science-based management and improve their performance.

Behavior Change Interventions to Reduce Illegal Fishing

“…Education about the purpose of regulations, the process through which they were designed, and the mechanisms through which they are intended to work can increase compliance (Pollnac et al, 2010). Participatory processes in which fishermen co-create the regulations may be even more effective (Ostrom, 1990;Hatcher et al, 2000;Keane et al, 2008;Karr et al, 2017). If fishers are included in the process of collecting data and/or designing the regulations, an education campaign that highlights this role and the value of their input may significantly increase the perceived legitimacy of the management system and instill a sense of ownership in it.…”

Fishers’ Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) on Connectivity and Seascape Management

“…However, many marine coastal systems are intensely and synergistically affected by human activities and fish stocks have declined globally at an alarming rate, calling for management actions (Pauly and Zeller, 2016). Many fisheries appear to be failing in achieving yields or conservation goals where healthier oceans supporting more fish, feeding more people, and improving livelihoods are prioritized (Karr et al, 2017;Unsworth et al, 2018a).…”

Untapped Potential of Citizen Science in Mexican Small-Scale Fisheries

“…Most projects are co-created (develop hypothesis and study design), with ideas from fishers and researchers contributing to the study design, methodology and the selection of study sites and target species. These ideas include the need to collect information on important but vulnerable fishery species (e.g., the corvina fishery, Karr et al, 2017), abnormal events (e.g., hypoxia, Micheli et al, 2012), or in newly created no take zones (e.g., Corredor San Cosme-Punta Coyote in Karr et al, 2017. Data collection always involved fishers.…”

“…Over 215 small-scale fishers have been trained to SCUBA dive and evaluate marine resources in the Mexican Pacific, Gulf of California and Mexican Caribbean (Karr et al, 2017;Fulton et al, 2019). These efforts have accompanied the bottom-up creation of 204 km 2 of no-take marine reserves in 25 coastal communities as well as the evaluation of established marine protected areas.…”