FAO.org

Fisheries co-management has emerged as a pivotal strategy for sustainable resource management worldwide. It fosters collaboration among local resource users, governments, NGOs, and academics. The global landscape of fisheries co-management is characterized by its diversity. The implementation of fisheries co-management typically unfolds in three distinct phases: pre-implementation, implementation, and post-implementation. The pre-implementation phase is crucial, involving stakeholder identification and engagement, objective setting, and the development of legal and social frameworks. This study analysed the complexities of the pre-implementation phase, based on a set of indicators about the context, attributes, pre-existing conditions, drivers, governance approaches, participatory processes, and enabling conditions associated with co-management systems. This analytical framework is based on an extensive literature review, encompassing both academic and policy documents. This dual approach of academic and policy review allowed for a holistic understanding of co-management systems, considering both theoretical insights and practical implementations. The results provide a comprehensive overview of the essential foundational elements that are crucial in fostering co-management systems, some of them capable of addressing the complex challenges faced by fisheries in the contemporary world. This knowledge can be utilized by government and non-government organizations planning to support or engage in the development of co-management systems across various ecological, social, and governance contexts.