Regional dynamic co-management for sustainable fisheries and ecosystem conservation: a pilot analysis in the Catalan Sea

The complexity of coastal fisheries requires a management system that is able to integrate multiple interactions in order to gradually achieve sustainability. We argue that regional co-management can appropriately address these complex interactions, including those with other potentially conflicting human activities. Our results, show, however, that improved mutual understanding through effective communication and long-term collaboration between stakeholders, and in particular between fishers and scientists, is essential to ensure the successful implementation of fisheries co-management. In addition to balancing the voices of the many stakeholders, co-management needs to be further improved by developing multi-species, multi-gear and multi-use approaches to the oceans. Dynamic management over time and space, using real-time essential fish habitat from operational oceanography, can help to make the co-management process more robust by improving collaboration between stakeholders and the effectiveness of measures in a changing environment. The decision-making, social and ecological components are described as integral and dependent parts of the co-management system, with priority given to mutual understanding between stakeholders. This integrated co-management framework is flexible enough to take into account regional complexity, but also national legislation and the EU Common Fisheries Policy, which all promote sustainable use of the oceans and protection of the ecosystem.

DRUON Jean-Noel;  LLORET J.;  SALA-COROMINA Joan;  RECASENS Laura;  GÓMEZ Sílvia;  FONTÁN BOUZAS Laura;  GUILLEN GARCIA Jordi;  TUDELA Sergi; 

2023-07-21

FRONTIERS MEDIA SA

JRC133291

2296-7745 (online),   

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1197878,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC133291,   

10.3389/fmars.2023.1197878 (online),