Responsible Fisheries Training
Equipping fishers, compliance staff, fisheries observers and managers with the skills and knowledge to implement an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management.For responsibly managed fisheries, it is important to understand the dynamics of individual populations and the ecosystem as a whole. It is equally important to have appropriate policies and regulations in place which incorporate all aspects of an ecosystem approach, however, the fact that this is a necessary but not a sufficient condition is apparent. If the people on the ground like the fishers themselves, fisheries observers or compliance officers do not understand how and why regulations or management measures are in place there will be little or no implementation. Therefore it is vital that fishers who are at the coalface of fisheries management are empowered to understand the environment within which they work, the concepts that underpin fisheries management and the thought process behind management decisions.
Observers on the other hand require appropriate training to not only collect verifiable data on which management decisions are based, but are also inspired to raise the awareness and understanding of fishers at sea. Compliance officers, who enforce management actions, cannot do so effectively if they are not equipped with a thorough understanding of fisheries regulations, why the regulations exist and how to implement them. The training proposed in this document aims to address this need.
Benefits of the proposed training programme will ultimately result in fisheries acting more responsibly through improved compliance to fisheries regulations and implementation of voluntary measures and thereby increasing the likelihood of long-term sustainability and access to global markets.Many fishers have little tertiary education. A training programme such as this one would uplift the skills of fishers and in this way aid in poverty alleviation.
