35. In the last decade, following concerns about conventional management as well as fishery overexploitation and environmental degradation, the objectives, approaches and policies of small-scale fisheries management have begun to change. The objectives have shifted from maximizing catches regardless of the state of the stocks and from increasing employment, to sustaining stocks, ecosystems and revenue of fishers. The objectives have shifted from maximizing short-term interests to addressing both short- and long-term interests. There is a shift away from conventional production and stock/species based management to conservation and ecosystem-based management. Policies have shifted from open and free access, single sectoral fishery policy, command-and-control, and top-down and risk-prone approaches to limited entry, use rights and user fees, coastal zone intersectoral policy, use of economic instruments, and participatory and precautionary approaches. It is increasingly recognized that resources can be better managed when fishers and other stakeholders are more involved in the management of the resources and when use rights are allocated - either individually or collectively - to control access.
36. Fishers should be equal and active partners with government and other stakeholders in fishery co-management arrangements. Given the different conditions, needs and demands with the small-scale fisheries sector, there is no simple management solution appropriate for every community, region, or nation. There is no blueprint for co-management but rather a variety of arrangements from which to choose for a specific context. Co-management should be viewed as a process of resource management, maturing and adjusting to changing condition over time.
37. Government's role in developing co-management is to provide policy and enable legislation to facilitate and support the right to organize and make fisheries co-management arrangements at the local level, to address problems beyond the scope of local arrangements, and to provide assistance and resources to support the maintenance of local arrangements.
38. A number of conditions affecting the introduction and success of co-management emerged in the discussions:
· the existence of appropriate legal, policy and administrative structures to support co-management;
· the process being in the context of democratization and transparency;
· the partners being committed to participating in and implementing the process;
· guidelines on the development and implementation of co-management as a necessity;
· clearly defined boundaries to facilitate management;
· partners having the capacity (through information, education and training) to undertake their roles and responsibilities;
· co-management institutional structure to exist at nested levels from community to national;
· research systems being in place to support co-management;
· co-management being linked with community and economic development;
· an existing environment for participation of the community in management;
· open lines of communication for dialogue with government; and
· monitoring scheme available to provide feedback of information for management.
39. The experts agreed on a generic process for co-management at the community level. This is a process that could be followed and adapted for the region. The process involves several steps:
i) Problem recognition and dialogue. The fishers recognize a problem(s), discuss it among themselves, and seek linkages with governments and others to prepare a strategy to address the problem(s).
ii) Community entry and integration. Government and/or NGO hold a series of meetings and consultations with community members to explain co-management and develop consensus on the process.
iii) Participatory research. Participatory research is conducted to collect and analyse baseline data on the community, its people and the natural resources and to generate new knowledge.
iv) Community assessment. Participatory assessment of community opportunities, problems and needs.
v) Education and information. Capacity building of community members.
vi) Community organizing and core groups. Community organizing is the foundation for mobilizing local human resources. Community core groups and leaders take on the responsibility and authority for management.
vii) Objectives, strategy and plan. The community and government develop resource management plan, interventions and co-management agreement. All local level plans should be harmonized with those that exist in the fishery sector and other relevant sectors.
viii) Plan implementation. The activities and interventions of the co-management plan are implemented through sub-projects. The plan will include resource management interventions such as limited access, conflict management and enforcement mechanisms, livelihood strategies, rule development, and monitoring.
ix) Evaluation. Monitoring and evaluation allows for interactive learning and a feedback system of success and failure for the co-management arrangements.
40. A management authority is needed for a fisheries management system. It will be responsible for recognizing existing rights, where these already exist, or for defining and assigning rights where they do not, or where a change is required (example in Appendix), which can be necessitated by changing social and economic circumstances of the fishery. A whole range of local fisheries management arrangements may be nested within the national fisheries governance system, each perhaps differing according to the geographic areas they may cover, the characteristics of the target stocks and other social, economic and physical particularities of the fishery.
41. There was insufficient time for the Expert Consultation to adequately discuss strategies for management of small-scale fisheries in all situations, in particular coastal waters. The discussions and further debate did not adequately cover the issue of limiting access to the fishery and identification of appropriate strategies to achieve this and investigation is required. It may, however, be necessary to limit access to a fishery when the catch exceeds the productive capacity of the target stocks.
