Fishing into the Future (FITF) has set out a series of guiding principles for effective collaboration between fishermen and policymakers.
The fishermen-led charity has launched its ‘Core Values for Working Together Effectively’, describing it as a ‘crucial missing piece in building a new fisheries management system based on co-management’.
“Over the past few decades, there’s been an erosion of trust between those making the decisions and the fishermen who are impacted by them, exacerbated by major challenges in the industry,” explained FITF executive director, Emma Plotnek.
“Co-management has the potential to be a promising step forward, allowing fishermen to contribute to decisions and it is hoped that new management measures co-designed with industry will lead to greater buy-in.”
The guidance was created through a series of residential events attended by fishers, industry representatives, fisheries managers and researchers.
The Core Values summarise eight key talking points from the discussions. These include trust and open communication, simple, dependable and responsive systems for working together, evidence-based decision-making and a wider understanding of sustainability that prioritises both social and economic factors.
David Stevens, chair of FITF and skipper of the Crystal Sea fishing vessel based in Newlyn, Cornwall, was at the first event.
“By making sure our views were fed in, we’ve ended up with values that speak to the needs and realities of fishermen,” he said.
His view was echoed by Mike Roach from the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations.
“This guidance is a powerful reflection of what the fishing industry has long been advocating for – a collaborative, bottom-up approach to making decisions,” he said.
