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FAO. 2024. Co-management of fisheries and mangroves as a pathway to the ecosystem approach to fisheries – Good practices and lessons learned from the Coastal Fisheries Initiative. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd2212en

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Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries and co-management in a global context

The EAF, co-management and the CFI

CFI lessons learned, good practices and case study examples

Roles and responsibilities in co-management – institutional structures and empowerment

Establishing enabling conditions for fisheries and mangroves co-management

Creating positive incentives for sustainable fishing and safeguarding of mangroves

Conclusion

References

Annex 1

Annex 2

Annex 3

Annex 4

Annex 5

Boxes

1. What is the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF)?

2. How do we know if a fisheries co-management arrangement generates the expected benefits?

3. What are the SSF Guidelines?

4. The Local Artisanal Fishing Councils (CLPAs) in Senegal

5. Structures for participatory governance in the Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary

6. Training to encourage a sustainable institutional basis for co-management

7. The Northeast Peru Mangroves Consortium

8. Participatory research for co-management

9. Fisher certification in Indonesia

10. Environmental education for school students

11. Women’s empowerment in Peru

12. Cabo Verde’s National Gender Strategy for Fisheries (2022-2025)

13. CFI exchange visits

14. MCS in co-management plans in Cabo Verde

15. Participatory monitoring and the CLPAs in Senegal

16. Digitalization of landings and fishery data in Tumbes

17. CFI support to improve policy and legal frameworks

18. Sasi co-management

19. Lack of tenure rights for women seafood processors in Senegal

20. Complementary income generating activities in Senegal

21. The Fisheries Performance Assessment Toolkit (FPAT)

22. What is the Ocean Health Index (OHI)?

23. Support Fund for Fisheries Financing and the CLPAs in Senegal

24. Fair Trade certification in Ecuador

25. Traceability pilot in Ecuador

Figures

1. Types of fisheries co-management arrangements

2. CFI pilot sites and target fisheries

3. Areas of CFI co-management learnings

Preface

The Coastal Fisheries Initiative (CFI) is a global partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme through the Abidjan Convention (UNEP/Abidjan Convention), Conservation International, the World Bank, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and the governments of Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Indonesia, Peru, and Senegal.

In these six countries, the CFI partnered with relevant ministries and other policymakers, fishing communities, fisher and fish worker organizations, fisheries managers and entrepreneurs, scientific researchers, and local NGOs.

Its overall objective is to demonstrate that holistic, ecosystem-based management and improved governance, including enhanced value chains, can help achieve sustainable and profitable small-scale fisheries in healthy ecosystems.

CFI’s work contributes to the FAO Blue Transformation Roadmap 2022-2030 for aquatic food systems to enable better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. It also contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – especially SDG 14 on sustainable use of marine resources, SDG 1 on no poverty, SDG 2 on zero hunger, and SDG 5 on gender equality.

The CFI has developed a set of three legacy publications to consolidate good practices and experience from the field and to make its successful approaches and tangible impacts sustainable beyond the end of its five-year cycle. The publications are aimed at academia, authorities, civil society, development partners, institutions, NGOs, practitioners, and scientists.

This publication is a companion to the other two CFI publications in the series: Empowering women in fisheries value chains and Engaging the private sector in sustainable fisheries.

Acknowledgements

This publication was prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded Coastal Fisheries Initiative (CFI) in close collaboration with Conservation International, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) through the Abidjan Convention, the World Bank and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

It was developed by Lena Westlund (FAO) under the coordination of Fatou Sock, CFI Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) at FAO headquarters and in collaboration with the CFI teams from the six beneficiary countries, including Maria Da Costa Moniz Carvalho (Cabo Verde), Aboubakar Koné (Côte d’Ivoire), Adipati Rahmat Gumelar (Indonesia), Miguel Maldonado (Ecuador and Peru), Amadou Touré and Mamadou Thiam (Senegal), and Philip Townsley.

The technical reviews by FAO experts Merete Tandstad and Marcelo Vasconcellos are gratefully acknowledged. We also extend our thanks to Stefania Fumo and Pierre Dupenor from FAO for editing and publishing coordination, and to Maxtudio for layout and design.

The production of this document was facilitated by the FAO Coastal Fisheries Initiative Global Partnership Project, financed by the GEF.

Abbreviations

CBD

Convention on Biological Diversity

CCRF

FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

CFI

Coastal Fisheries Initiative

CI

Conservation International

CLPA

Local Artisanal Fishing Council - Senegal

COFI

FAO Committee on Fisheries

CRO

Centre for Oceanological Research – Côte d’Ivoire

CRODT

Dakar-Thiaroye Centre for Oceanographic Research - Senegal

DNPA

National Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture – Cabo Verde

DPM

Maritime Fisheries Directorate - Senegal

EAF

Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries

EMAR

School of the Sea - Cabo Verde

FAO

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

FPAT

Fisheries Performance Assessment Toolkit

FTT

FAO-Thiaroye Processing Technique

GIE

Economic Interest Group - Senegal

ICIEG

Cabo Verde Institute for Gender Equality and Equity

IGAs

Income generating activities

IMAR

Institute of the Sea - Cabo Verde

IUPA

University Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture - Senegal

MCS

Monitoring, control and surveillance

MSC

Marine Stewardship Council

MMAF

Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries - Indonesia

MPA

Marine Protected Area

MPEM

Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy - Senegal

PRAO

Program Regional Fisheries of West Africa - World Bank

SERNANP

National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State - Peru

SIDS

Small Island Developing States

SSF Guidelines

Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small- Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication

UNDP

United Nations Development Programme

UNEP

United Nations Environment Programme

UNICA

Credit and Savings Union - Peru

WWF

World Wide Fund for Nature

The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries and co-management in a global context

The ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) and other related concepts (e.g. Ecosystem Based Management or EBM) were developed to implement the principles of sustainable development, the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in a practical manner. FAO has developed technical guidance on and promotes the EAF in recognition of the need for wider frameworks for the planning, development, and management of fisheries. The EAF has been adopted by the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) as the appropriate approach to fisheries management.

The EAF is a practical way to implement sustainable development principles, including their human and social elements^1. The EAF seeks to improve all fishery management processes, not only those dealing with the ecological consequences of fishing, but also the social and economic implications generated by the management and institutional arrangements related to fisheries. It is a holistic approach and provides a framework for developing and implementing management plans using integrated governance systems and participatory approaches, such as co-management, taking the complexity of the fishery into account (see Box 1).

BOX 1

What is the ecosystem approach to fisheries?

The EAF was developed as a mechanism to operationalize the CCRF. Its adoption resulted from an increased understanding of the interactions between human activities and ecosystems, a growing environmental awareness among stakeholders, and lessons learned from fisheries management over the last 50 years.

The EAF represents the marriage of ecosystem management and fisheries management. Its key objective is the sustainable use of the entire ecosystem and not just targeted species. The EAF specifically recognizes humans as an integral component of ecosystems and tries to address the multiple interests of people in fisheries to achieve sustainability.

It is based on participatory rather than top-down decision-making and broadens conventional fisheries management approaches, which focus on target species, to include non-target species and the ecosystem as a whole. The EAF is an extension of conventional fisheries management, and not a parallel process.

The purpose of an ecosystem approach to fisheries is to plan, develop and manage fisheries in a manner that addresses the multiple needs and desires of societies, without jeopardizing the options for future generations to benefit from the full range of goods and services provided by marine ecosystems.

Source: FAO. 2005. Putting into practice the ecosystem approach to fisheries. Rome. DOI: https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/6c6543ca-b388-48c0-9531-e49544b5c3fb/content

Fisheries co-management is a form of participatory governance that can facilitate the implementation of EAF in certain contexts. It is supported by international policy frameworks such as the CCRF, promoting consultations and effective participation of stakeholders in decision-making with respect to the development of laws and policies related to fisheries management.2

Co-management refers to a governance arrangement and is conceptually different from fisheries management, which deals with the process of developing and implementing regulations and rules for fisheries activities. Co-management refers to the participatory arrangements that determine how decisions are made and by whom. There are different variants of co-management, but a general definition used by FAO is:

Fisheries co-management is defined as a partnership arrangement in which the community of local resource users (fishers) and government, with support and assistance as needed from other stakeholders (boat owners, fish traders, fish processors, boat builders, businesspeople, etc.), and external agents (non-governmental organizations, academic and research institutions), share the responsibility and authority for the management of the fishery.3

There is a continuum of variations of power-sharing and decision-making in co-management. These can be classified into four main categories according to the role of the resource users and the government, respectively (Sen & Neilsen, 1996). At one end of the spectrum is an instructive arrangement where there is a dialogue with resource users, but the decision-making remains with the government. At the other end, management authority is largely delegated to resource users, for example in a community-based management arrangement, who keep the government informed about their decisions. In between there are consultative and cooperative arrangements with different degrees of shared responsibilities (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Types of fisheries co-management arrangements

Source: Adapted from Pomeroy, R.S., Oh, K., Martone, E., Westlund, L., Josupeit, H. and Son, Y. 2022. Guidebook for evaluating fisheries co-management effectiveness. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc2228en

Co-management can be area-based or applied to a specific fishery and type of resource user (e.g., fishers using a certain type of gear or targeting a certain species). While the concept of co-management tends to be applied in a local or community context, participatory arrangements can also exist at the regional level (for shared stocks for example) or at the national level with consultations or shared decision-making on overall principles and policies.

Experience shows that co-management works best when based on extensive cooperation and delegated management authority. A number of good practices and success factors have been identified globally: supportive legislation, formal tenure rights, and conflict resolution mechanisms are in place; rights and responsibilities are clearly defined; co-management organizations have clearly defined membership and effective leadership; co-managed areas have defined boundaries; adequate financial resources are available; the goals and objectives of the co-management arrangement are agreed and clear; there is group/social cohesion; the decision-making and implementation processes are inclusive, and there are individual incentive structures.4

Effective and successful co-management generates several benefits, including an increased sense of ownership leading to more responsible fishing practices and compliance with regulations, reduced conflict between user groups, availability of better quality and more comprehensive data for decision-making, valorization of traditional environmental knowledge, and greater sensitivity to local socio-economic and ecological restraints.

Overall, it would seem that co-management leads to improved management, which in turn supports sustainable livelihoods for fishing communities. However, to understand the benefits created in a certain location and by a specific co-management arrangement, results need to be evaluated (see Box 2).

BOX 2

How do we know if a fisheries co-management arrangement generates the expected benefits?

As with other management approaches, fisheries co-management needs to be monitored and evaluated to ensure that the expected benefits are created and, if not, take corrective action. Monitoring and evaluation consist of reviewing the results of actions taken, generating lessons for learning, assessing whether or not existing systems and actions are producing the desired outcomes, and adapting the co-management system to revise or improve practices.

FAO has developed a guidebook for how to evaluate co-management – read more and download the guide here.

Co-management is increasingly being recognized as good practice for the governance of small-scale fisheries. The premise of effective participation is also a fundamental principle of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (see Box 3). They make direct reference to co-management in paragraph 5.15:

States should facilitate, train and support small-scale fishing communities to participate in and take responsibility for, taking into consideration their legitimate tenure rights and system, the management of the resources on which they depend for their well-being and that are traditionally used for their livelihoods. Accordingly, States should involve small-scale fishing communities – with special attention to equitable participation of women, vulnerable and marginalized groups – in the design, planning and, as appropriate, implementation of management measures, including protected areas, affecting their livelihood options. Participatory management systems, such as co-management, should be promoted in accordance with national law.

BOX 3

What are the SSF Guidelines?

The SSF Guidelines are a complement to the CCRF and were endorsed by the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in 2014. They are the first international instrument dedicated to small-scale fisheries and call on states to apply a human-rights based approach. The SSF Guidelines highlight the need for social and economic development alongside the promotion of responsible fishing. They include a strong focus on vulnerable and marginalized groups and the need to promote gender equity and equality. In sum, they are about people, not just about fish.

Read more about the SSF Guidelines and FAO’s support to implementing them at the FAO SSF website. Chapter 5 on Governance of tenure in small-scale fisheries and resource management is of particular importance to EAF and co-management.

The SSF Guidelines specifically mention the equal involvement of women in participatory management systems. Existing co-management schemes typically involve fishers, who tend to be men. However, those who sell and process fish or who support pre-capture activities, many of whom are women, also depend on the same fishery resources and their voices should be heard. Their knowledge and understanding of fisheries value chains can also support more effective fisheries management.

Figure 2. CFI pilot sites and target fisheries

The EAF, co-management and the CFI

Recognizing the importance of addressing three pillars of sustainable development – the environmental, social and economic dimensions – the CFI promoted the implementation of the EAF in its six beneficiary countries. Fishing communities and national and local authorities were supported to develop and/or implement EAF-compatible fisheries management plans and to implement co-management arrangements.

Aligned with existing evidence^5, the CFI project operated under the premise that co-management could foster the realization of EAF goals through various means, such as getting resource users involved in decision-making, actively engaging fishing communities in specific management functions (e.g., gathering data, monitoring, control and surveillance, and developing management plans), mitigating conflicts, and fostering social cohesion, among other aspects.

CFI activities, while sharing common elements, were adapted to local contexts in each of its six beneficiary countries. Most of the co-management work has also been supported by participatory research activities for selected fisheries at the pilot sites (see map in Figure 2).

An overview of key actions in the different geographies include:

- In Cabo Verde, the CFI built on an earlier World Bank project and continued to support the introduction of co-management of the coastal lobster and grouper fisheries on Maio Island.

- In Côte d’Ivoire, the CFI provided advice on the regulatory framework for co-management, helped set up a pilot project for the co-management of the sardinella fishery and supported participatory research.

- In Ecuador, the CFI helped develop fisheries co-management plans for five fisheries - black ark clams (Anadara tuberculosa), mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), pole-and-line tuna, red mangrove crab (Ucides occidentalis) and titi shrimp (Protrachypene precipua) - with a strong focus on fisher participation.

- In Indonesia, the CFI worked with Indigenous Peoples to implement Sasi, a traditional form of resource management through which the regional government formally delegates management responsibilities for selected areas to fishing communities.

- In Peru, the CFI has supported co-management of the Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary and its fishery resources, in particular black ark clams. Moreover, fisheries co-management plans have been developed for two RAMSAR sites: the Mangroves of San Pedro de Vice Park and the Virrilá Estuary Nature Conservation Area.

- In Senegal, the CFI has supported participatory research and co-management of coastal shrimp and molluscs with a broad spectrum of value chain actors – fishers, fishmongers and seafood processors – through the Local Artisanal Fishing Councils (CLPAs, in their French acronym).

- In Cabo Verde, Ecuador, Indonesia and Peru, the CFI Challenge Fund supported private sector initiatives for sustainable fishing as a complement to more direct co-management activities.

While the countries and contexts are different, commonalities have emerged across the different project sites. They generally confirm the global good practices mentioned above, but CFI experience also provides a basis for specific guidance and case study examples, which will be discussed below. It should be noted that several global consultations and exchange visits were organized by the CFI programme to allow for its different projects and stakeholders to meet and discuss. For example, a full day was spent discussing co-management of fisheries and mangroves in the context of EAF during the 2023 CFI Global Partnership Consultation in Dakar, Senegal, which in turn built on the experiences of a CFI Global Exchange Visit in Tumbes, Peru, in November 2022.

The CFI learnings can be grouped in three interrelated areas: roles and responsibilities in co-management – institutional structures and empowerment; establishing enabling conditions for co-management; and creating positive incentives for sustainable fishing.

Figure 3. Areas of CFI co-management learnings

CFI lessons learned, good practices and case study examples

Roles and responsibilities in co-management – institutional structures and empowerment

CFI experience show that co-management must involve all relevant actors and stakeholders, especially those whose livelihoods and well-being depend directly on the natural resources to be managed. This means all the women and men along the fishery value chain, as well as other fishing community members. In addition, it must involve relevant government agencies, local administrations, scientific researchers and civil society. Each of these groups has specific mandates, knowledge, skills and interests that are vital to making co-management work. Hence, appropriate forms of organization and institutional structures for co-management must be in place.

Examples include the CLPAs set up by the Ministry of Fisheries and the Maritime Economy in Senegal in 2010 (see Box 4); and in Peru, the management committee and Tumbes Benthic Resources Technical Roundtable for the co-management of the Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary (see Box 5) and the multistakeholder management committees of the Mangroves of San Pedro de Vice Park and the Virrilá Estuary Nature Conservation Area.

BOX 4

The Local Artisanal Fishing Councils (CLPAs) in Senegal

Experience in Senegal has shown that stakeholders from the whole value chain and related administrative bodies (fishers, wholesalers, processors, local fisheries administration, etc.) have to be involved throughout the co-management process for successful results.

For the CFI, the entry point for identifying and implementing co-management measures are the CLPAs, local governance bodies that were put in place by the government in consultation with small-scale fishers and fish workers.

Each CLPA consists of an executive bureau, various technical commissions (dealing with issues including conflict resolution, fundraising, and resource management), associations by profession, and a coordination council. Their role is to advise the ministry, to prevent and resolve conflicts between stakeholders and to participate in monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) of fishing and related activities.

The CLPAs are usually organized by trade, for example: purse seine fishers; line fishers; and fishmongers and seafood processors, most of whom are women. The government is represented by the local fisheries department, which also provides secretarial and administrative support.

The CFI worked with nine CLPAs representing around 13 000 actors in the Saloum Islands, its pilot site in Senegal (see map in Figure 2).

Artisanal fishing boats, Saloum Islands, Senegal.

©FAO/Marta Moreiras

Source: FAO. 2023. Report - CFI Global Partnership Consultation 2023 in Dakar. https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/626cf64b-25cf-4231-8d65-6bcacccd38d5/content

Read more about CLPAs here and see also Box 23.

BOX 5

Structures for participatory governance in the Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary

In the Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary, resources are co-managed by government authorities, the local communities and fishers, entrepreneurs, and civil society organizations. To enable co-management of mangrove and fishery resources as well as participatory approaches more generally at the regional level, institutional structures have been put in place assigning clear roles, functions, and responsibilities for the different stakeholders:

- The Administration Contract is an instrument through which the Peruvian government entrusts a private entity (in this case the Northeast Peru Mangroves Consortium, formed by fisher organizations) with the management of a national protected area (in this case, the Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary) for an extended period. The goal is to recover, maintain and protect the mangrove ecosystem (flora, fauna, and water) while promoting the co-management and sustainable use of the area’s fisheries.

- The Management Committee of the Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary is a space for dialogue and coordination to supervise the implementation of the area’s Master Plan, a legal management instrument developed in a participatory manner and approved by the National Service for Natural Areas Protected by the State (SERNANP, in its Spanish acronym). It is the responsibility of the Consortium to implement the Master Plan. The committee is made up of authorities, ecosystem users, scientific institutions, academia, NGOs, the private sector, and other civil society actors linked to the mangrove ecosystem.

- At the regional level, there is the Benthic Resources Technical Roundtable of Tumbes whose purpose is to promote dialogue, consultation and shared decision-making among key stakeholders linked to the fisheries sector in the Tumbes region. The roundtable is officially recognized and led by the regional government of Tumbes and led by the Regional Production Directorate of Tumbes (DIREPRO Tumbes) with the National University of Tumbes as its technical secretariat. Its members include local and regional authorities, fishers’ organizations, academic and scientific entities, and civil society organizations. Activities include scientific research for conservation and sustainable use, data collection and information systems, participatory fisheries management, environmental education, and control and surveillance systems. It has also contributed to the elaboration of the Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Plans of the Tumbes Region and the Site Plan (tourism) of the Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary.

View of the Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary.

©FAO/CFI-GPP

It is important to mention that this governance structure is supported by Peru’s National Environmental Policy, the National Strategy on Biological Diversity, and the corresponding sectoral laws, subnational norms, and special management instruments, the most important of which is the Natural Protected Area (NPA) Master Plan.

See Box 7 for more information on the Consortium and its co-management of the Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary.

Co-management arrangements need to be embedded at the local, regional, and national levels in order to make them sustainable. For example, in Indonesia the CFI is providing support to ensure that the necessary arrangements can continue to exist beyond the end of the project. The CFI views the importance of strengthening institutions at the community level as a priority (see Box 6).

BOX 6

Training to encourage a sustainable institutional basis for co-management

In Indonesia, the CFI has carried out institutional training at several pilot sites to equip the community with knowledge on the importance of working in groups, basic financial management, product promotion and marketing, and business regulations. A total of 30 participants in each workshop were divided into women’s, fishers’, ecotourism, and business groups. On the last day of training, each group was legalized through the Head of the District Fisheries Agency Decree.

After the institutional training ended, the CFI continued to provide assistance in two forms: training tailored to the different types of groups and support for all small groups to join to form cooperatives or village-owned enterprises. These new structures continue to be assisted by the CFI. The village-owned cooperatives are based on the principles of co-management and are expected to become the umbrella for community business activities.

Legalizing the status of village-owned cooperatives is important because in Indonesia this is a precondition to receiving grants such as funds, fishing gear, boats, and cold storage equipment. The administrators of formally established cooperatives also receive benefits in the form of capacity development. In Watkidat Village, Southeast Maluku District, administrators have been invited to the capital to take part in training and receive assistance.

The Southeast Maluku District Government has also realized the benefits of fisheries co-management. In July 2023, inspired by and collaborating with the CFI, it carried out its own institutional trainings in each sub-district. Group representatives were then invited to the district capital to be formally recognized. The Watkidat Village cooperative administrators were invited to share their experiences from working with the CFI.

Source: CFI Indonesia. 2023. GEF 6: KKP together with the Southeast Maluku fisheries Department facilitate the formation of 24 fisherman joint bussiness groups. https://www.cfi-indonesia.id/blog/gef-6-kkp-together-with-the-southeast-maluku-fisheries-department-facilitate-the-formation-of-24-fisherman-cubs/

There needs to be a fisheries management plan with clear roles, i.e., a fisheries co-management plan, assigning tasks and responsibilities to the different partners. This facilitates collaboration, allows for the monitoring of progress and achievements, and provides a basis for corrective action when needed.

In Cabo Verde the CFI supported national authorities and fishing communities on Maio Island to develop a co-management plan based on the EAF for grouper, which is a key species for local livelihoods but is being overexploited due to unsustainable fishing methods.

Building on work done previously by the Program Regional Fisheries of West Africa (PRAO) Project from the World Bank, the CFI helped update an initial diagnostic study of this fishery, set up a co-management working group, and draft a roadmap and action plan to protect grouper stocks. This includes the demarcation of a Marine Protected Area (MPA). Stakeholder consultations are underway on which fishing techniques to allow in the various zones of the MPA.

A multi-stakeholder working group has since been established by the National Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DNPA) to guide and oversee the implementation of the co-management plan (see Annex 1).

In Côte d’Ivoire, the CFI supported the development of a co-management plan for round and flat sardinella, using the EAF to promote effective stakeholder participation while considering the environmental aspects of these fisheries. This included a diagnostic study based on quantitative and qualitative data collected through participatory research carried out by CRO and individual questionnaires sent to stakeholders and focus groups.

The study was then validated by all local and national stakeholders and used as a basis to draft a co-management plan for sardinella. The fact that the study was arrived at in a participatory way facilitated a broadly shared definition of the objectives and management measures to be taken. These include reducing the size of purse seines, increasing net mesh size, and closing spawning and nursery areas to reduce the capture of juvenile sardinella.

The CFI also helped set up a local co-management committee for the sardinella fishery in Sassandra, which was officialized by a prefectorial decree (see Annex 2), and which has drawn up an action plan for stakeholders to follow. The project also provided technical support on the national legal and regulatory framework for the implementation of co-management.

The sardinella fishery co-management committee, Sassandra, Côte d’Ivoire.

©FAO/Anicet Bekrou

This experience shows that co-management is a valid strategy to get fisherfolk on board and facilitate their appropriation of measures for sustainability, including by monitoring and surveillance to make sure everyone is respecting them.

In Ecuador, the CFI designed and piloted five long-term strategic National Action Plans for the conservation and sustainable use of: black ark clams, mahi-mahi, pole-and-line tuna, red mangrove crabs, and titi shrimp. The Plans include but are not limited to co-management; they call for capacity building, education and awareness raising, and participatory research so that local resource users and communities have the skills and knowledge to co-manage each fishery sustainably. The focus has been on strengthening fisher participation in data collection, monitoring, and management decisions.

Small-scale fishers, Côte d’Ivoire.

©FAO/Mohamed Adé

In Peru, one of the CFI pilot sites was the Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary, which extends over 2 972 hectares and is co-managed by the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (SERNANP, in its Spanish acronym) in collaboration with the Northeast Peru Mangroves Consortium, which represents six associations of crab and shellfish harvesters. SERNANP has entered into a 20-year co-management contract with the Consortium, effectively delegating management rights and responsibilities to the fishers (see Box 7). A copy of the contract, in Spanish, is available in Annex 3.

BOX 7

The Northeast Peru Mangroves Consortium

“This was the first such contract ever signed with fisher and harvester associations, and it marked a milestone for conservation and for our country,” says Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary Head Rosa García.

“We think this inclusive management model is the most sustainable one over time. It benefits local communities, supports regional development, and conserves biodiversity. It is only by generating opportunities for local communities that we can guarantee conservation,” adds Marco Arenas, who heads the Functional Operational Unit of Participative Management of the Natural Protected Areas Management Directorate at SERNANP.

The Consortium received capacity development from the CFI, acquiring the business, environmental, managerial, and scientific skills required to co-manage the Sanctuary. Its members successfully support biodiversity conservation, maintain and extend mangrove cover, conduct awareness raising and educational campaigns, engage in participatory research and run an eco-tourism business and a seafood processing unit to support the livelihoods of local communities.

Concha negra and red crab harvesters in the Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary.

©UNDP/CFI-LA

Red crab in Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary.

©UNDP/CFI-LA

Marco Arenas from SERNANP explains why co-management is a win for conservation and sustainable development at the same time in this video.

Read the story of Consortium Vice President and mangrove crab harvester Jhon Puse here.

In Senegal, a co-management plan for coastal shrimp had been drawn up and approved by decree in 2017, and a national technical committee and regional technical committees made up of all stakeholders were set up to foster bottom-up and top-down participation.

A CFI assessment of the 2017 plan concluded that it had followed the EAF method. The CFI supported its implementation by facilitating stakeholder consultations and fostering participatory research and monitoring with nine CLPAs in the Saloum Islands.

As a result of this lengthy and painstaking process, fisherfolk and authorities agreed jointly to extend the closed season for coastal shrimp, from one to two months. While the impact of this measure on shrimp stocks has yet to be measured scientifically, CFI team members in the field have observed an increase in the size of shrimp being caught.

In addition, in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal the CFI worked closely with local researchers, NGOs and small-scale fishing communities to implement co-management plans for the mangrove ecosystems they depend on for their livelihoods. A series of studies on the conditions, uses and dynamics of the mangrove forests and RAMSAR sites around Sassandra–Dagbego in Côte d’Ivoire and the Saloum Delta in Senegal were carried out. This improved knowledge became the basis for collaboration with local fisheries and environment authorities, universities, and communities, leading to the replanting, rehabilitation and placing under protected status of 350 hectares of mangroves in each country.

Mangrove forests are nursery grounds for many fish and crustacean species, barriers against storms and sources of wood for building and cooking.

CFI actions to stop them from disappearing include raising awareness among local communities about the importance of nurturing a landscape in which biodiversity can flourish – including the species on which their livelihoods depend.

The UNEP/Abidjan Convention, a CFI partner in West Africa, provides an important framework for the protection and development of marine and coastal ecosystems.

More information on CFI efforts to foster sustainable mangrove management is available here.

Women harvest shellfish among Saloum Delta mangroves, Senegal.

©FAO/Marta Moreiras

One of the functions of the mangroves is to stabilize the soil. If we do not reforest the mangroves today, rainfall and storm surges will erode the bases. And, once those bases are gone, the soil will become barren, and nothing will be able to grow.

Dr Yacoub Issola

UNEP/Abidjan Convention

Scientific research should involve fishers and fish workers if it is to successfully underpin the co-management of endangered ecosystems with local communities. Research institutions need to engage in participatory and responsive research conducted closely with stakeholders in the field. To develop such capacity and to advance co-management, the CFI has promoted participatory research in Latin America and West Africa (see Box 8). The Fisheries Performance Assessment Toolkit (FPAT) was developed to facilitate participatory data collection and research (see Box 21).

BOX 8

Participatory research for co-management

To support the development of management measures, the CFI has promoted participatory scientific research by entering into contracts with the Institute of the Sea (IMAR) in Cabo Verde, the Centre for Oceanological Research (CRO) in Côte d’Ivoire, and the Dakar-Thiaroye Oceanographic Research Centre (CRODT) and the University Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (IUPA) in Senegal. Fishers and fish workers were involved at every step of the research process, including definition of methodology, data collection and validation of results. Activities included:

- Organizing workshops to define research objectives and how fishing communities would be involved;

- Monthly biological data collection missions to determine the sexual maturity of selected species;

- Taking samples to study the selectivity of gear; and

- Building capacity to enable actors to understand the techniques used in scientific research.

The research centred on blue-spotted seabass (Cephalopholis taeniops) in Cabo Verde, sardinella (Sardinella aurita) in Côte d’Ivoire, and coastal shrimp and molluscs in Senegal. The results have informed management decisions such as extending closed seasons, decreased fishing effort and regulations on gear. Decisions were made after many rounds of consultations with local stakeholders. This inclusive process has led to the fishing communities taking ownership of decisions made for long-term sustainability, even if they resulted in short-term hardship.

Woman holds freshly harvested oysters, Saloum Delta, Senegal.

©FAO/Marta Moreiras

For example, in Senegal small-scale fishers and fish workers decided jointly with regional authorities in July 2023 to introduce a new six-month closed season for ark clams and oysters and to extend the closed season for shrimp by a month. These three species are key to the livelihoods of coastal communities in the Fatick region. The decisions were preceded by months of participatory research to determine optimal times for the growth of juveniles as well as the selectivity of fishing gear. Quantitative and qualitative data of a social, ecological, and economic nature was collected through interviews with stakeholders in Bettenty and Foundiougne, two major shrimp fishing centres in the Saloum Islands, and through a literature search to fill in the FPAT (see Box 21). The socio-economic data focused mainly on supply chains and management. Data on fisheries governance focused on the co-management system and the prerogatives of fisheries management and development, which are shared between authorities and fishers and fish workers.

©FAO/Lala Ndiaye

The new closed seasons were discussed for several months and adopted by consensus. It’s not easy to go that long without working. But as they say, you can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs. We will see their usefulness when the resources become plentiful again.

Ndèye Isseu Ndiaye

Seafood processor and CLPA member
Foundiougne, Senegal

In Peru, the CFI supported successful collaboration on research in the context of co-management. The Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary, which is co-managed by the Northeast Peru Mangroves Consortium and SERNANP (see Box 7), works closely with Incabiotec, a biotechnology lab for sustainable development, to repopulate depleted mangrove species. The Consortium and its fishers are directly involved in these efforts to preserve the mangrove ecosystem on which their livelihoods depend.

Protected mangroves, Parc des Îles Ehotilés, Lagune de Aby, Côte d’Ivoire.

©FAO/Mohamed Abé

Sign marking CFI mangrove reforestation plot in the Saloum Delta, Senegal.

©FAO/Marta Moreiras

Planting a mangrove in the Saloum Delta, Senegal.

©FAO/Marta Moreiras

What we offer here is biotechnology for sustainable development. The goal is to integrate: to help repopulate depleted species while also offering communities alternatives for sustainable development.

Virna Cedeño

Founding Partner and Director Incabiotec S.A.C.
Tumbes, Peru

Virna explains why participatory research is vital to sustainability in this video.

©FAO CFI-CPP

The effectiveness and sustainability of fisheries co-management depends on the capacity of stakeholders to do their part. For fishers and fish workers, this engagement may be new, and they will need to be empowered to participate and contribute. This can mean supporting them with capacity building in fisheries management, self-organization, planning and administration, business and livelihood diversification, and technical skills to help them add value to and improve their value chain. For example, in Indonesia the CFI supports a certification scheme for small-scale fishers, providing training in the skills they need to participate in fisheries co-management and responsible and safe fishing (see Box 9).

BOX 9

Fisher certification in Indonesia

The Fisher Proficiency Certification scheme is a training program for captains and crew members to understand the importance of knowledge on environmentally friendly fishing methods, regulations on fish capture and handling on board, work safety and first aid, and the use of simple technology such as GPS and e-logbooks. The certification is a requirement for working on 5-30 GT fishing vessels. As of August 2023, 500 fishers had been trained and certified. The CFI collaborated with the Directorate of Fishing Vessels and Fishing Equipment, Training and Extension Centre, the Regional Government Fisheries Agency, fisher groups, and village governments to deliver the training.

Read more about fisher certification in Indonesia here.

Traditional small-scale fisher from Menarbu Village, Wondama Bay.

©MMAF/CFI Indonesia

Source: CFI Indonesia. 2023. CFI Indonesia’s website. https://www.cfi-indonesia.id/

In Cabo Verde the CFI worked in partnership with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to support the pre-assessment of the bluespotted seabass (Cephalopholis taeniops) handline fishery against the MSC Fisheries Standard to identify areas for improvement. A capacity building workshop for local stakeholders on the MSC fisheries standard was delivered and an action plan was developed to address the performance gaps identified in the pre-assessment stage.

Awareness raising for a broader audience and communities at large is important to drum up support for sustainable management of ecosystems. In Peru, the CFI worked with the Ministry of the Environment and local municipalities in the Piura district to develop a management plan for the Mangroves of San Pedro de Vice Park and the Virrilá Estuary Nature Conservation Area, both RAMSAR sites. This was supported by the development of educational materials on mangroves and mangrove conservation for local schools and educational institutes (see Box 10).

BOX 10

Environmental education for school students

The CFI has contributed to environmental education in Peru through learning units designed and implemented for primary school students under the Ministry of Education and the current national curriculum. The project was carried out jointly with the Local Educational Management Unit, local municipalities, and the Peruvian Ministry of the Environment.

Initially 174 national school principals and teachers were given training in a total of 20 educational workshops. They provided training in turn, reaching an estimated 3 000 students. The educational materials, including graphics and videos, are available on the Sechura Provincial Municipality website.

This approach included environmental education as a determining factor in the implementation of sustainable fisheries governance. If people lack information and awareness about the importance of sustainability, it will be difficult to influence social behaviours, such as getting consumers to prefer responsibly caught fish.

Mangroves in San Pedro de Vice Park, Peru.

©UNDP/CFI-LA

My hope is for all the women in the world who are being left behind, to gain an active role in many sectors. Women should be involved in many aspects of employment and empowerment. I also hope for myself and for my community to gain broader skills and knowledge so that we can develop our products better.

Sri Fanny Mony

Fisherwomen’s group leader from Watkidat village
Southeast Maluku, Indonesia

Read the full story here.

© WWF Indonesia

Women have a critical role to play in small-scale fisheries co-management. They are key actors, both as members of fishing communities affected by management decisions, and as seafood processors and fish handlers involved in the value chains directly.

However, they are often underpaid, undervalued, excluded from decision-making venues, and overlooked by policymakers. It is therefore essential to strengthen their skills and their confidence so they can participate fully in co-management on a par with men.

To promote equity and equality in small-scale fisheries, the CFI provided gender training and awareness raising in communities and institutions, supported legal reform to eliminate gender imbalances, organized exchange visits, and provided capacity building specifically for women.

For example, in Peru the CFI used a multi-pronged approach to strengthen women’s visibility at the institutional level while also empowering them to take control of their finances and their livelihoods at the community level. This highly successful approach is described in some detail in Box 11.

BOX 11

Women’s empowerment in Peru

As in many places in the world, in Peru small-scale fishing is dominated by men. However, many women actively participate in other links of the value chain, mainly in seafood processing and marketing. Their participation, usually in the form of small businesses, is often invisible and unrecognized and they have limited access to financial resources. The CFI applied a gender approach to promote women’s economic empowerment from the highest institutional levels to the field.

A diagnostic study of women’s self-perception in fisheries value chains in Sechura Bay was carried out. The information provided reliable inputs to formulate gender criteria for action by public and private institutions. In addition, communities and officials were trained in basic gender concepts through workshops and an online course developed by the project.

Frequent barriers to formal credit in small-scale fisheries, especially for women, include strict conditions and prohibitive interest rates. In response, the CFI improved access to collective financing by promoting community-based Credit and Savings Unions (UNICAs, in their Spanish acronym).

To contribute to small-scale fishing household economies in Sechura Bay, the CFI provided technical support to 45 women through its Growing with Your Business model, which strengthened their entrepreneurial and marketing skills.

In Tumbes, the participation of women in leading positions was strengthened in three out of six fisheries organizations. Today, two organizations are led by female presidents and one of them has women on its steering committee.

©UNDP CFI-LA

UNICAs

- 33 UNICAs formed with 551 members

- 66% of members are women and 75% of UNICAs have women in management positions

- USD 420K in 1 506 loans extended in 18 months, 59% to women

- USD 90K in savings in 18 months

- USD 12K in profits distributed through 12 UNICAs in the first year of implementation

GROWING WITH YOUR BUSINESS

- 30% sales increase and 20% cost reduction

- 20% customer increase and three new sales channels

- Members are aware of their tax rights and obligations

GENDER TRAINING AND WOMEN’S VISIBILITY

- 365 people in Ecuador and Peru (45% women) trained in basic gender concepts

- Diagnosis of women’s self-perception in fisheries value chains in the Bay of Sechura.

Source: UNDP. 2022. Coastal Fisheries Initiative – Latin America (CFI-LA): Final evaluation report - GEF 9124 Project. https://erc.undp.org/evaluation/documents/download/22185

The CFI carried out national legal assessments and in Cabo Verde this led to a new national gender strategy for fisheries (see Box 12). These activities are not only geared towards women’s participation in co-management but also towards a much-needed recognition of women’s work in fisheries and to raise their voices in decision-making more broadly. Only if the role of women is recognized and valued will they also be able to participate in fisheries co-management, contributing their unique knowledge on market demand, products, and supply chains. For more in-depth information, see the companion CFI publication Empowering women in fisheries value chains.

BOX 12

Cabo Verde’s National Gender Strategy for Fisheries (2022-2025)

Cabo Verde’s National Gender Strategy for Fisheries 2022-2025 aims to enhance women’s economic power and decision-making autonomy. It was developed through a process of assessing the current situation, organizing capacity building workshops, and many rounds of consultations with stakeholders. Its goals are to:

- Strengthen the institutional, legal and sectoral policy framework to address gender equality and social protection

- Promote women’s voices at all decision-making levels in fisheries

- Enhance the value chains of small-scale fisheries products by targeting the specific needs of women and men

- Promote gender equality in private companies, promote the formalization of work and extend social protection

- Strengthen knowledge and information management through monitoring and evaluation with a gender focus

The Strategy was validated in March 2022 by the Ministry of Sea and the Ministry of Family, Social Inclusion and Development, and was integrated into government programming for 2022-2027. The Strategy’s Action Plan is being implemented through Letters of Agreement (LOAs) with three national institutions: the School of the Sea (EMAR), the Cabo Verde Institute for Gender Equality and Equity (ICIEG), and the National Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DNPA).

Watch a video about the Cabo Verde National Gender Strategy here.

In West Africa, the CFI organized national and regional exchange visits between women fishmongers and seafood processors, who learned new techniques from their colleagues in order to make their jobs safer and their products more competitive, contributing to more secure and resilient livelihoods (see Box 13).

BOX 13

CFI exchange visits

The CFI organized three national exchange visits in Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal providing a peer-to-peer space and opportunity where artisanal seafood processors and fishmongers — the vast majority of whom are women — could share experiences and good practices to make their jobs safer, easier and healthier and to make quality fish products that can appeal to wider consumer bases, to the economic benefit of their entire communities. These were followed by a regional exchange visit, bringing women processors from Cabo Verde and Côte d’Ivoire to their colleagues in Senegal.

©FAO/Marta Moreiras

Our goal is to sell our products in supermarkets and trade fairs, so we can export to bigger markets. We want to respect all the health and sanitary protocols so that we can be competitive.

Fatou Ndong Sarr

President of the Niodior Women Seafood Processors GIE
Niodior, Senegal

Packaged dried ark clams ready for sale at the Niodior seafood processing unit.

©FAO/Lala Ndyiae

“These exchange visits allow the women to appreciate the benefits of new techniques and methods, as explained to them by female colleagues who understand the challenges and hardships they face,” commented FAO Fishery Officer and CFI Chief Technical Advisor Fatou Sock.

“Through the CFI, FAO continues its commitment to improving the livelihoods of women who work in small-scale fisheries value chains.”

Check out this video about the national exchange visit in Senegal.

Demonstration of how to make shrimp semi-conserves, Senegal exchange visit, Feb. 2022.

©FAO/Lala Ndyiae

All forms of fisheries management need to be supported by appropriate means of monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) to ensure compliance with management measures such as closed fishing seasons, the type of gear allowed, and the size of captured species. Co-management arrangements can make this process easier and more effective: if fishers have been involved in the decision-making process, they are more likely to comply. Still, MCS may be required to ensure compliance with regulations and to control fishing by outside interests. Building appropriate MCS capacity will therefore be an important part of any fisheries co-management system.

In Cabo Verde, the co-management plan foresees an MCS component from the beginning of the process (see Box 14) and in Senegal, capacity has been developed within the CLPAs for participatory monitoring (see Box 15).

BOX 14

MCS in co-management plans in Cabo Verde

The CFI supported the development of a pilot co-management plan that includes MCS in Maio Island. Provisions are also being made to set up mechanisms for conflict resolution. A working group bringing together all the main stakeholders was created officially by the National Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DNPA). Its mission is to coordinate and guide the development of this co-management plan.

A DNPA note announcing the creation of the working group is available in Annex 1.

BOX 15

Participatory monitoring and the CLPAs in Senegal

In Senegal, each CLPA has a commission responsible for MSC. Its task is to support fisheries officers during surveillance operations for the control and monitoring of measures agreed upon by consensus. It also plays an important role in raising awareness among seasonal fishers who come from other localities in Senegal.

In this context, in the Fatick and Kaolack regions in the Saloum Islands, teams were set up to together with the local administration to monitor management measures. Two monthly outings were organized, which were attended by 77 members of the CLPAs. All the pirogues boarded were registered along with their crews. Infringements committed were verified and listed.

Some of the results of this participatory surveillance activity in Senegal include:

- The organization of 44 unannounced trips to fishing grounds to observe and penalize any offenders;

- The boarding of around 20 pirogues that were fishing illegally at night using unregulated means;

- More than 50 fishers were made aware of good fishing practices;

- 15 fishermen were fined for failing to comply with the measures in force;

- Awareness of safety measures and fisheries resource management measures was raised.

Source: Report on Memorandum of Understanding between FAO and the Maritime Fisheries Directorate (DPM), available in Annex 4.

In Peru, the CFI in collaboration with WWF has supported the authorities to implement electronic monitoring of daily landings at the small-scale fishing landing site in Puerto Pizarro, Tumbes. Puerto Pizarro is one of five landing sites in Tumbes and covers about 30 percent of total catches of the region (see Box 16).

BOX 16

Digitalization of landings and fishery data in Tumbes

DIREPRO, the regional authority responsible for small-scale fisheries in Tumbes, Peru, did not have a real-time registry or database for statistics on landings, species caught, vessel registration, and destination of the landings.

In response, the CFI supported the rollout of two applications (TrazApp Desembarcadero de Pesca Artesanal and TrazApp-DIREPRO) and the digitalization of administrative procedures.

At the pilot site in Puerto Pizarro, the issuance of certificates of origin, payments for fishing services and primary processing, permits and other procedures are now digitalized, making DIREPRO’s work more efficient and secure. It also helps reduce informality in the sector, since all commercial transactions are registered.

Learn more about the apps here and here.

Puerto Pizzarro landing site, Peru.

©FAO/CFI-GPP

Establishing enabling conditions for fisheries and mangroves co-management

Co-management needs to be supported by appropriate policies and legal frameworks. This means policies and laws that encourage stakeholder involvement in managing natural resources and that make it possible to give them formal responsibilities in the co-management process. Analysing current policy and legal frameworks and assessing their appropriateness for co-management arrangements is a key first step (see Box 17).

BOX 17

CFI support to improve policy and legal frameworks

To facilitate the understanding of existing legal frameworks and identify potential needs for legal reforms, assessments were conducted in Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal on how national policy and legal frameworks support the implementation of the EAF and the SSF Guidelines.

Through this work, the CFI has supported the development and application of a policy and legal diagnostic tool for sustainable small-scale fisheries and collaborated with the EAF-Nansen Programme to apply another FAO tool: A Practical Guide on Legislating for an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries. An executive summary of the legal assessments in the three countries is available here. Online courses are available at the FAO eLearning academy on how to use these tools.

Moreover, FAO has developed a policy and legal database specifically dedicated to small-scale fisheries: SSF-LEX. This is a new subset of the existing FAO database FAO-LEX and includes information and analyses of international, regional and national legal and policy instruments.

A review of the relevant frameworks in Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal showed that all three countries emphasise co-management in their policies and allow for professional organizations, fishing communities and stakeholders to be involved in decision-making. Legal provisions recognize the importance of participatory management, traditional knowledge, and the involvement of local communities and stakeholders in conservation and management efforts.

In Côte d’Ivoire, the CFI proposed two new legal texts: a decree setting up a National Technical Research Commission to support EAF implementation, and another decree containing terms and conditions for the co-management of artisanal fisheries. The Côte d’Ivoire cabinet in December 2021 approved Decree N°2021-792 on the regulation of fisheries conservation and management plans, which was submitted with the support of CFI juridical experts by the Minister of Animal and Fisheries Resources.

Clearly defined formal tenure rights to fisheries resources or fishing areas – including management rights – granted to the resource users and groups participating in the co-management, is an important part of an enabling environment. Formal recognition of tenure can provide an incentive for resource users to participate in and support governance structures such as co-management. In Peru, clear delegation of management rights and responsibilities were established under the terms of a contract between the Peruvian authorities and the Northeast Peru Mangroves Consortium, putting its members in charge of monitoring and managing their resources (see Box 7).

In Indonesia, secure tenure rights have been promoted through the recognition of the traditional Sasi system. The CFI has been supporting the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) to pursue a Sasi co-management policy by empowering Indigenous communities with training to evaluate their coastal resources, mapping Sasi fishing grounds and including them into coastal zoning plans, and guaranteeing Indigenous Peoples’ rights and responsibilities over their resources (see Box 18).

BOX 18

Sasi co-management

In Eastern Indonesia, illegal fishing practices such as fish theft, boundary violations, use of dynamite and the use of non-environmentally friendly gear are still common. The government does not have the manpower to monitor remote areas while local communities, which are greatly harmed by these illegal practices, are powerless because they lack regulations, maps of their traditional fishing grounds and the authority to protect them.

In response, the government has taken steps to legally recognize traditional fishing grounds by leveraging Sasi, an ancestral Indigenous form of resource management. An Indigenous community can suggest a Sasi area that corresponds generally to where traditional management has been in place for generations, and the regional government will formally delegate management responsibilities for that area to the community. By granting these rights, which are also included in national zoning plans, the community gains legal recognition of their Indigenous institutional status and their Indigenous territory.

Important preconditions for this arrangement are buy-in from community leaders, general awareness of the need to manage resources sustainably, willingness on behalf of the regional government to delegate authority, and the presence of a third party that can act as a catalyst and facilitate discussions between the government and the community.

The CFI supports the government and communities with participatory planning and drafting of village regulations. Communities have also received training in ecosystem monitoring, diving for resource monitoring, and Geographic Information System (GIS) use to map and integrate Sasi areas into provincial spatial zoning plans. These zoning plans become a legal stipulation that not only recognizes the existence of the Indigenous institutions, but also their right to protect resources within Sasi territorial boundaries from illegal fishing practices.

Yustus Menarbu holds fresh-caught red snapper

©Adrian Jentewo/WWF Indonesia

Almost all the people of this village now understand that the benefits of Sasi are very important for them, for the natural ecosystem and for future generations.

Yustus Menarbu

Fisherman and Chairman, Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMKA)

Menarbu Village West Papua Province, Indonesia

Read Yustus’ story here.

Read more about Sasi in Indonesia here.

In Senegal, a study to evaluate ways to improve land tenure and access for small-scale processors and sellers, including their access to raw materials was conducted in nine CLPAs in the Fatick region. This study illustrated the difficult situation for women seafood processors when they lack secure access to land and raw material (see Box 19).

BOX 19

Lack of tenure rights for women seafood processors in Senegal

The main results of a study on tenure rights in the Fatick region in Senegal showed that women processors generally carry out their activities on sites with no formal tenure rights (land titles) in their names. These processing sites sometimes lack adequate facilities but as the land does not belong to the processors, it is difficult for them to invest in what is needed. So, in the absence of a secure, well-equipped space, women process their products at home, with all the risks involved and in violation of national regulations.

In addition, the processing sites are often located in areas that are much sought after for other uses (tourism, hotels, other maritime infrastructure, etc.), which are sometimes supported by financially very powerful players compared with the vulnerable processors. Such investments and developments by other economic sectors in coastal areas are likely to lead to the relocation of fishing and seafood processing activities and the dispossession of land used by small-scale fishers and fish workers.

Securing land tenure by systematically issuing titles in women’s names is an absolute necessity if their professional activities are to be sustainable. Hence, there needs to be support to a process of land regularization. Moreover, while it is true that securing land tenure remains a fundamental input, this alone will not ensure the sustainability of fishing communities if it is not accompanied by secure access to raw materials. The difficult conditions of access to raw materials observed on the ground are a major threat to the survival and sustainability of fishing activities.

Shellfish harvesters/processors, Saloum Delta, Senegal.

©FAO/Marta Moreiras

Seafood harvesters, processors and value chain operators who have resilient and diversified livelihoods will find it easier to adapt to new co-management arrangements. Supporting local fishing communities to develop stronger livelihoods should be combined with the introduction of new management arrangements. Small-scale fishing communities often need time to adapt and increase their capacity to engage in the co-management process. For example, in Senegal complementary income generating activities are always considered in the context of co-management (see Box 20).

BOX 20

Complementary income generating activities in Senegal

In Senegal, the co-management projects that have been implemented have always been accompanied by income generating activities (IGAs) to compensate for the loss of earnings due to restrictions on access to resources in the name of sustainability, for example during closed seasons.

To better understand the role of IGAs and other forms of incentives, the CFI carried out a study through a participatory mission to identify good practices thanks to co-management support partners. Successes as well as failures were noted, and IGAs were prioritized based on all the ideas put forward by the stakeholders to take their concerns into account. It is important that the IGAs are identified in close consultation with stakeholders so that solutions are realistic in the local context.

The study confirmed that IGAs can be an important complement to co-management. Success stories include stores to sell fishing, navigation, and safety equipment, poultry farms, the sale of small household equipment, and training and financing to set up beekeeping. These activities were supported following a request by local fishers, who wanted to generate funds to replace their small-mesh nets with regulation 12mm mesh nets to ensure sustainable fisheries.

To help fisheries stakeholders develop more resilient and diversified livelihoods and adapt to new fisheries management measures, improved infrastructure and new technologies can play an important role. Better facilities and equipment can help fishers and seafood processors improve the quality and value of their products and increase their incomes. By eliminating post-capture losses and waste, it can also encourage more sustainable fishing.

The CFI’s integrated, holistic approach to working on fisheries value chains has included support to women seafood processors through training and equipment. This has empowered the women by strengthening their capacities as entrepreneurs, improving their product quality, increasing their access to credit and to wider markets, and boosting their incomes.

A processing unit with five FTT ovens was inaugurated by the CFI in Senegal during a regional exchange visit in May 2022.

@FAO/Lala Ndyiae

The CFI conducted a review of existing infrastructure in Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal that provided insights into the need for appropriate mechanisms for management and maintenance of infrastructure, which should be developed and implemented through participatory processes. In Côte d’Ivoire, where fish smoking is a key economic activity, the CFI promoted the use of FAO-Thiaroye Processing Technique (FTT) ovens, which are labour-saving devices that protect the women from burns and toxic smoke while vastly reducing the amount of wood – often from endangered mangroves – used for fuel. In Cabo Verde and Côte d’Ivoire, in partnership with another FAO project on agrifood systems in small island developing states (SIDS)6, equipment including ice machines, a refrigerated van and cool boxes have been provided to the communities to improve the quality of their products. The women processors responded enthusiastically to the FTT ovens and equipment and are requesting country authorities and FAO to provide more such infrastructure wherever it is currently lacking.

To make the right choices about fisheries co-management, stakeholders need to be able to get the information they need to make their decisions. This includes information about fish resources, fishing activity, fisheries value chains, prices, markets, and consumer demand. Setting up systems that collect this information and make it readily available is therefore an important enabling condition for fisheries co-management. The capacity of decision-makers to make use of information may need to be strengthened and a culture of transparency developed.

The CFI approach to co-management promotes participatory data collection and analysis. This includes using the Fisheries Performance Assessment Toolkit (FPAT) developed by CFI in collaboration with the University of Washington, which measures the social, economic, ecological and governance dimensions of fisheries (see Box 21). In addition, the CFI used the Ocean Health Index (OHI) to make assessments in the provinces of Manabí and Santa Elena in Ecuador (see Box 22).

BOX 21

The Fisheries Performance Assessment Toolkit

FPAT is an indicator-based tool that allows for participatory research and a holistic assessment of fisheries. It has been demonstrated that this can improve the legitimacy of the decision-making process because it is based on collaboration, engagement, and mutual arrangements.

Managing a fishery means making decisions about who gets to fish, what species they can target, where and when they can do so, and how much of it they are allowed to catch. The consequences of those decisions have an impact on fishers and their communities, the economy, and the environment.

FPAT provides a relatively simple set of tools to assess fisheries in a multidimensional way, providing good quality data and information to underpin management decisions capable of achieving as many desired outcomes as possible.

Its advantages are:

The new tool has been tested in partnership with national research institutes and governments in Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Indonesia and Senegal on selected fisheries.

To learn more, visit this link and take the FPAT e-Learning course at the FAO eLearning Academy.

BOX 22

What is the Ocean Health Index?

The Ocean Health Index (OHI) is a management tool that has been applied in more than 220 countries and territories. It evaluates 10 objectives on environmental, economic and social aspects to diagnose the health status of the ocean in a comprehensive and quantitative way.

The CFI, through its partner Conservation International Ecuador, measured the OHI for the provinces of Manabí and Santa Elena. Due to the currents of the Eastern Pacific, these are key areas for generating high rates of biodiversity and making species more resistant to climate change and related temperature variations. The results of this work can be used by stakeholders to improve management of resources and ecosystems.

Learn more about the CFI and the Ocean Health Index here.

A key aspect of the sustainability over time of co-management arrangements is to ensure long-term funding beyond specific projects and initiatives. In Senegal, the Support Fund for Fisheries Financing channels part of the taxes collected to the CLPAs. This is an important mechanism that could be further developed and tried also in other countries (see Box 23).

BOX 23

Support Fund for Fisheries Financing and the CLPAs in Senegal

The Support Fund for Fisheries Financing (FAF) was created to support local fisheries management and constitutes a substantial resource for the CLPAs. It is funded by royalties from small-scale fishing licenses and the issuance of fishmongers’ cards, with 60 percent of the licence and 30 percent of fishmongers’ card fees being allocated to the CLPAs.

Initially, there were difficulties in disbursing this money, but this was resolved through a decree regulating the distribution of funds. Each year, the CLPAs develop annual work plans, which are validated by the fisheries minister. The funds make it possible to finance the annual work plans and to take charge of sustainable management activities.

Source: Arrêté conjoint n° 019590 du Ministère des Finances et du Ministère des Pêches et de l’Économie Maritime du Sénégal fixant la composition, les attributions, et les modes et moyens de fonctionnement des conseils locaux de pêche artisanale, Sénégal, 31 mai 2023. Available in Annex 5

In Peru, the CFI supported the financial sustainability of the co-management of the Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary by:

- Strengthening the entrepreneurial skills of the Consortium and its members, including their capacity to run an ecotourism business and a sustainable seafood restaurant.

- Supporting Consortium members to pool their resources in order to build and equip a seafood processing plant to add value to landings.

- Setting up a pilot system for the purification and traceability of ark clams, significantly improving the quality of the product with the expectation of directing it to more profitable specialized markets.

- Building the capacity of fishers and their families to form community-based savings and credit groups (UNICAs), with a focus on women’s economic empowerment.

Consortium ecotourism guide takes stakeholders on a tour of the Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary during CFI Global Exchange Visit, December 2022.

©FAO/CFI-GPP

Creating positive incentives for sustainable fishing and safeguarding of mangroves

Fishers and all those involved in fisheries value chains depend on the sustainability of the resources they use. This means that they are best placed to take on a role as stewards of those resources, provided that the role is recognized formally. Participation in decision-making about fisheries resources and their use can be a powerful incentive for more sustainable fishing among fishers and is one of the key motivations for co-management. However, additional incentives may be needed to promote responsible fisheries and create sustainable livelihoods. Demonstrating the economic benefits of fisheries co-management and ensuring that resource users and fishing communities receive those benefits, is critical. This may require strengthening fisheries value chains to ensure that the benefits of sustainable fisheries are distributed equitably among different actors.

Developing certification schemes supported by traceability mechanisms can fetch better prices for fish and seafood products that are sustainable. Different types of certifications require different levels of sophistication and the actors involved in co-management need to decide together what kind of certification is most appropriate. Different aspects of fisheries can be certified, including co-management measures controlling fish capture, the sustainability of harvesting or processing methods, the geographical origin of fish or seafood products, or the welfare of those involved in production. See Boxes 24 and 25 for examples.

BOX 24

Fair Trade certification in Ecuador

The Manta Pole and Line Fishing Association, which represents a group of small-scale tuna fishers, in 2022 became the first Ecuadorian fishery to obtain Fair-Trade Certification, which guarantees that a product complies with social, economic, and environmental standards. They did so thanks to the technical support of the CFI.

Manta pole-and-line tuna fishers.

©Conservation International Ecuador/Gustavo Crespo

The pole-and-line tuna fishery is an example of sustainable small-scale fishing. This recognition guarantees consumers a certified and responsible product that cares for marine biodiversity, dignifies the small-scale fishing activity, and improves the sector’s living conditions.

Luis Suárez

Vice President

Conservation International Ecuador

Read more about the Manta fishers here.

BOX 25

Traceability pilot in Ecuador

The CFI worked with the fisherfolk of the San Mateo Cove Settlement, where 90 percent of the community is dedicated to small-scale mahi-mahi fishing, to pilot a digital traceability system so that they can prove their fish is caught in a sustainable way. It did so by supporting the 20 de Septiembre Cooperative, which is made up of 65 mahi-mahi fishers, to install cameras and electronic logbooks on their fishing boats.

©UNDP/CFI-LA

Thanks to the pilot project, we were able to access a responsible fishing market with fair prices. We did so by using the new traceability technology, and by forging alliances with local restaurants.

Cinthia Conforme

Youth leader, fisherman’s daughter

San Mateo Cove Settlement, Ecuador

Find out more about the San Mateo Cove traceability pilot here and here.

Illustration: Mahi-mahi

Private sector enterprises can play a role in co-management when they have strong incentives to make and keep fisheries sustainable, for example by accessing markets and consumer bases that explicitly reward responsible practices. Appropriate capacity building can help them grow their businesses while supporting sustainable fisheries. This might include the use of more environmentally friendly fishing methods, identifying new markets, participating in certification and branding schemes, and ensuring transparency in fisheries value chains to facilitate traceability. The CFI worked directly with the private sector to encourage investments in sustainable value chains. While this support has not been directly linked to the implementation of co-management, important lessons can be drawn on how to enhance livelihoods in combination with responsible fishing.

Another form of incentive relates to reducing vulnerability through social protection. Small-scale fishers and fish workers often work in arduous conditions, facing many dangers, with little or no access to social security schemes. This means they have no safety net in cases of accidents or illness, which in turn makes them less likely to fish sustainably when faced with adverse events.

Clarissa Sastra’s seaweed farming business received support from the CFI to provide small-scale fishers an alternative way to earn a living during closed seasons in Indonesia.

You give them a sustainable income with money coming in every 45 days, you improve their livelihoods, and you reduce fishing pressure.

Clarissa explains in this video.

Clarissa at the CFI Global Exchange Visit in Tumbes, Peru 2022.

©FAO/CFI-GPP

Investing in social protection therefore has the potential to contribute non only to human wellbeing but also to improved fisheries management through incentives to:

- Formalize the sector by encouraging fishers and fish workers to register so they can sign up for health insurance and access future benefits such as old age pensions;

- Comply with management measures that provide an alternative income during closed fishing seasons.

©FAO/CFI-GPP

I give you an example: you’re a fisherman, your wife and child are sick, and medicine is expensive. When you go out to sea, your only concern is to fish a lot in order to earn a lot of money.

Mamadou Wade

Head of Departmental Fisheries and Surveillance Service (SDPS)

Senegal

Watch a video about the importance of social protection for fishers and fish workers here.

Conclusion

Co-management is increasingly acknowledged as a key strategy to achieve sustainable use of fisheries and other coastal resources. The CFI has supported co-management with regard to institutional structures and empowerment, establishing enabling conditions and creating positive incentives for sustainable fishing and the safeguarding of mangroves.

The scope or scale of co-management tends to currently be focused on individual fisheries, natural protected areas or groups of fishers organized in specific areas. The challenge for governments is now to scale up actions to be applied more systematically and broadly at the national level. This will require a legal basis to be in place that allows for effectively devolving management responsibilities to the local level together with capacity development and empowerment.

It would also seem important to ensure that co-management includes a more explicit value chain perspective by involving those working in the post-capture sector, especially women, and achieving buyer and consumer cooperation.

It has to be recognized that many small-scale fishers and fish workers live in a context of informality and insecurity. Marginalized and vulnerable fishing communities face many challenges, which influence their capacity to engage in co-management. In such situations, co-management efforts need to be combined with other livelihood support and incentives, including diversification of income and social protection.

For effective management of fisheries and ecosystems, the generation of data and scientific information is crucial. Participatory data collection and monitoring and the co-production of knowledge are important components of co-management.

Co-management needs to have sustainable funding. While a project such as the CFI can help put co-management and its enabling conditions in place, its long-term viability should be considered from the outset. Self-sustaining income generation would remove the risk of relying on external funding sources. Still, the partnership between communities, government, and other stakeholders – including the private sector – is crucial and will need to continue to be nurtured over time.

All the aspects described in this publication are interlocking and must go hand in hand for a successful outcome. They are a demonstration that holistic, ecosystem-based management and improved governance can help achieve sustainable and profitable small-scale fisheries in healthy ecosystems.

For a more complete understanding of this holistic approach, consult the other two CFI publications in the series: Empowering women in fisheries value chains and Engaging the private sector in sustainable fisheries.

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Annex 1

DNPA note announcing the formation of a working group on co-management on Maio Island, Cabo Verde

Annex 2

Prefectorial decree officialising the sardinella fishery co-management committee in Sassandra, Côte d’Ivoire

Annex 3

Contract between the Northeast Peru Mangroves Consortium and SERNANP.

Annex 4

DPM report on co-management of ark clams, coastal shrimp, and oysters in Senegal.

Annex 5

Joint Decree N. 019590 of 31 May 2023 by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, establishing the composition, attributions, operating mode and means of the Local Artisanal Fishing Councils (CLPA), Senegal.