Collaborative Research in FisheriesDr. Kathleen Castro

University of Rhode Island

Obtain information for the management of fisheries has been through centralized, government-staffed research programs.

Growing trend to involve other parties in fisheries research activities under the general umbrella of “cooperative research.” These parties include commercial and recreational fishermen, fishing industry groups, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), resource agencies, and universities.

tree?

spear? fan?

wall?snake?

rope?

What’s wrong with the old way?

What is Collaborative Research?• Partners contribute where, what and how they do best

• Involved in all phases of the research process, including formulation of the research questions and generation of the hypothesis

• Creative approach that provides a mechanism for integrating the unique knowledge, experience, and skills of fishermen, other stakeholders, and scientists.

• It is a process that is initiated at the start of a well designed and scientifically valid project and continues until the end, with each group having mutual investment in - and ownership of - the project.

How do we engage these diverse groups?• Need to change behavior of all partners

involved:– Fishermen (understanding of scientific rigor, need

for financial and personal commitment, patience)– Scientific institutions (be adaptive in research

approach, use of new platform, sharing control) – Funders (set realistic goals, understand

complexity of issue, be adaptive in budget)– Managers (legal time frame, governance

framework, sharing of responsibility)

“I needed to take a look in the mirror at myself and our Association. We lacked finesse, were too confrontational and had not known how to change any of this. We had fished down our fishery to the point where we were almost out of business and had nearly destroyed this hollowed ground. This was an honest moment for me and it hurt.

With that insight I set out to create change. Our battles are now not with each other but with the challenges of designing strategies to help our fishery be sustainable.

We have created major transformations. We have moved from fishermen being forced by government regulations to change- to being proactive as stewards of the fishery. We have gone from almost a complete collapse of our industry and livelihoods to making a difference for the Atlantic Ocean. How many people can say they have had a positive effect on the Atlantic Ocean!”

Why we need change• Collaborative fisheries research helps to promote

communication and trust among fishermen, scientists, and managers and can provide much needed scientifically valid data for fisheries management.

• It can enhance federal and state management data collection programs, which span broad sections of coastline, by increasing the ability to detect changes in local metapopulations that may be over-fished or underutilized.

• These partnerships create access to knowledge, tools, techniques, skills and experiences that are otherwise unavailable to government scientists.

• Create a better understanding of scientific process and creates more buy-in of management decisions and policies.

Goals• Clear specific objectives meeting a management

or industry demand.• Develop shared perspectives derived through

science-based investigations on the status of marine resources.

Possible ImpactsEnhanced communication – among fishermen, industry organization, scientists, fishery managers and others.

Research capacity – Increased opportunities to do research by leveraging industry vessels and the knowledge and expertise of fishermen.

Trust building – Greater value sharing, acceptance by regulators or scientists of data gathered by fishermen, and industry support of research outcomes.

Relationship building – Development of industry associations and partnerships beyond the scope of one project. Improved collaboration among stakeholders.

Economic Value – Enhanced gear efficiency, new fisheries, increased fishing opportunities and use of collaborative research dollars to sustain fishing operations.

Keys to Success• Participation from industry leaders from the

beginning of project.• Scientific data, fishing and research

technologies and other findings that are of practical value to management, industry and other stakeholder groups.

Way Forward in Ghana

• Develop a collaborative project idea• Establish working group • Develop proposal

– Roles and responsibilities– Plan of work– Timeline and milestones

• Work would start Oct, 2016. Finish by September 2017