Fisheries co-management: a worldwide, collaborative research project

Abstract

There is a need for rapid and substantial evolution of existing fisheries management systems in developing countries to support sustainable resource use. it is unlikely that local communities can accomplish this change on their own. But neither can the national government accomplish it entirely through bureaucratic instruments. There must evolve a more dynamic partnership using the capacities and interests of the local community, complemented by the ability of the national government to provide enabling legislation and institutions and other assistance. This partnership can be called co-management, where the national government and the community share authority for fisheries management. ICLARM, with funding from DANIDA, has embarked on a five-year worldwide research project on fisheries co-management. The research project will address issues of co-management at both the national and community levels. The research framework provides for a structural approach to examining and documenting the origin, current status, operation and performance of fisheries management systems. Institutional analysis. which examines how institutional arrangements, the set of rights and rules by which a community organkes activities and which affect use behavior and incentives, will provide the basic research framework for studying fisheries management institutions. In the paper, we will provide details on the overall project objectives and scope, the research framework, project structures, and activities to date. It is hoped that presentation of the project framework at this meeting will provide feedback for improvement.