A manual for the co-management of commercial fisheries in the Pacific

by P. Watt

This manual is about the co-management of commercial fisheries. It complements the manual on the community management of subsistence fisheries, Fisheries Management by Communities (King and Lambeth 2000). Although there are numerous models that have been adopted by countries for co-managing fisheries resources, the majority of information presented in this manual is taken from the comanagement system that Samoa established for its offshore fisheries, in particular the tuna longline fishery.

The guidelines and suggestions that are presented in this manual are intended to assist government agencies and fisheries resource user groups to promote and facilitate stakeholder involvement in the development and management of commercial fisheries in the Pacific region.

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Table of contents:

1. Introduction

2. Economic importance of commercial fisheries in the Pacific Islands

3. Why co-management of commercial fisheries?

4. Involving the stakeholders in fisheries management

5. Commercial Fisheries Extension Service (CFES)

a) Extension staff skills
b) Extension process for involving stakeholders
c) Extension staff activities

6. Management Advisory Committees (MACs) for commercial fisheries

7. Who pays for co-management?

8. The advantages of co-management for resource management functions

9. Commercial fisheries management measures

10. Difficulties in promoting and facilitating co-management

11. Ensuring the sustainability of the co-management process

12. Evaluating commercial fisheries co-management