From cooperative data collection to full collaboration and co-management: a synthesis of the 2014 ICES symposium on fishery-dependent information

ICES symposium on fishery-dependent information. - ICES Journal of Marine Science Marine Science Hendrik Do¨rner 2 Norman Graham 1 Gabriella Bianchi 0 A˚ smund Bjordal 6 Marco Frederiksen 5 William A. Karp 4 Steven J. Kennelly 3 Jann Thorsten Martinsohn 2 Kimberly Murray 4 Martin Pastoors 7 Nja˚rd Ha˚kon Gudbrandsen 6 0 Fisheries and Aquaculture Department , Food and Agriculture Organization , Viale delle Terme di Caracalla , Rome 00153 , Italy 1 Marine Institute , Rinville, Oranmore, Co. Galway , Ireland 2 European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen (IPSC), Maritime Affairs Unit , Via Enrico Fermi 2749, Ispra VA 21027 , Italy 3 IC Independent Consulting , Cronulla, AU-NSW 2230, NSW , Australia 4 NOAA Fisheries, Northeast Fisheries Science Center , 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543 , USA 5 Eurofish International Organisation , H.C. Andersens Boulevard 44 - 46, 1553 Copenhagen , Denmark 6 Institute of Marine Research , PO Box 1870Nordnes, Bergen 5817 , Norway 7 IMARES , PO Box 68, IJmuiden 1970 AB , The Netherlands In this paper, we synthesize information presented at the 2nd Fishery Dependent Information (FDI) Conference, held in Rome, Italy, from 2 to 6 March 2014. We review current issues and advances in the collection, interpretation and application of fishery-dependent data, and highlight emergent findings in the field. Key issues include (i) the design and collection of data associated with commercial and recreational fisheries and the use of these data to support conventional and novel approaches to fisheries science and management and (ii) the role of fishers in co-management and policy setting. We noted that since the 2010 FDI conference a paradigm shift towards full engagement of key stakeholders started to take place. It also became evident that trust between stakeholders, managers, and scientists is necessary to develop efficient fishery monitoring programmes. While building such trust among key players often begins in informal settings, eventually one must evolve structured, formalized, and agreed processes for such interactions. We also conclude that because of the diversity of fisheries any determination of “best practices” may be difficult. Instead, we provide a list of “best principles” emerged from the conference. fishery-dependent data; fishery management; stakeholders - Introduction The need to establish sustainability as the cornerstone of fisheries policy is well recognized and reflected in many initiatives by governments and international organizations at national, regional, and global scales. Fisheries are complex socio-ecological systems that occur in a dynamic environment, and significant advances are required to obtain the information needed to manage them. Under an ecosystem approach to fisheries (FAO, 2003), the scope of fisheries management is even broader, requiring a very large knowledge base for decision-making. Expanding this knowledge requires an increased understanding of many areas, ranging from the impact of fisheries on resources and ecosystems, to social, economic, and governance aspects of the fishery “system”. Initiatives such as the recent reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (EU, 2013), the United States’ National Ocean Policy (USA, 2010), and the introduction of new concepts like results-based management, self-management and reversal/sharing of the burden-of-proof, create additional informational challenges. Information needs for small-scale fisheries are perhaps even more complex. These fisheries provide food and livelihoods to billions of people, but their sustainability is difficult to achieve because policy implementation is often difficult and data availability is poor (FAO, 2012). Participation of stakeholders at all levels of the fisheries system—from defining data to be collected and formulation of knowledge through to decision-making, policy development, and implementation—is essential for profitable and sustainable fishing practices. To address these issues, the Fishery Dependent Information (FDI) 2014 symposium was held at the FAO headquarters in Rome, from 3 to 6 March 2014. There were 168 participants from 33 developed and developing countries. The conference assembled scientists, fishing industry representatives, policy makers, and other stakeholders to discuss how to make best use of data and information emerging from fishing activities and how to merge that information efficiently with data from other sources. The international conveners are the authors of this paper. The programme included 96 verbal presentations, 48 posters and included 4 morning keynotes, followed by poster and verbal presentations in concurrent or plenary sessions during the week (see Supplementary material, unpublished conference programme). Most of the keynotes, presentations, and posters touched on the conference’s complementary themes of data collection and collaboration. The symposium also included two workshops and a theme session on EcoFishMan, discussed in more detail later in this paper. The symposium advanced some of the ideas from the 1st symposium held in Galway, Ireland in 2010 (Graham et al., 2011). At that symposium, the question of “how to get to a situation where fishers are the customers and consumers of scientific data and advice?” was clearly articulated. We see this as the first step in a paradigm shift from the conventional practice of “scientists ask(ing) fishers to provide data for scientific analysis” towards full engagement of key stakeholders and a mutual understanding that “scientists should also be asking fishers what services they need to help maintain sustainable and viable fisheries.” We saw considerable evidence of this paradigm shift during the 2014 conference. Keynote addresses The invited keynote contributions were intended to set the scene at the beginning of each day, identifying opportunities and challenges linked to the collection and use of fishery-dependent information by addressing the topic from different angles. The keynote speakers presented unique perspectives on fisheries management, fish sales organizations, privatization of the fishery resource, and industry engagement from a social science perspective. All the keynote presentations led to lively debate in subsequent sessions, which enriched the symposium by addressing basic issues. The first keynote was presented by Richard (Rick) B. Robins, Chairman of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, USA, with the title “The need for effective fisheries stakeholder integration in fisheries science and management—identifying opportunities and challenges through US regional examples”. Stakeholder confidence in fisheries management systems is strongly influenced by the degree and nature of stakeholder participation in fisheries data collection and in the regulatory process. In the 37 years since the United States passed the landmark Fishery Conservation and Manag (...truncated)