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 then they may be less inclined to engage with these. Therefore it is vital that fishers who are at the ‘coal face’ of fisheries management are empowered to understand the environment within which they work, the concepts that underpin fisheries management and the thought processes 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 Responsible Fisheries Training programme which is have been active since 2011 is aimed at capacitating the seagoing fishing fraternity with the understanding and skills to implement an EAF. To date the programme has been responsible for training over 750 learners.
The content disseminated at training sessions can be found below.
*See File download below for more details.
