Benefits and organization of cooperative research for fisheries management

Drawing on research in the northeastern USA and northwestern Europe, a description is given of how cooperative research is organized and a statement made of how involving fishers in research can contribute to better fisheries management. The focus is on improving stock assessments through the collection of better fishery-dependent and independent data and through efforts to address bycatch through gear-selectivity studies. Direct benefits of cooperative research include increased quantity and quality of data, inclusion of fishers' knowledge in science and management, improved relevance of research to fisheries management, and reduced costs of science. Indirect benefits are the buy-in of science and management by industry and improved relationships and trust between fishers and scientists (and managers). These indirect benefits are best achieved under conditions of transparency and communication. In some cases, cooperative research also provides income to the industry and supports the maintenance of fishing infrastructure. Most important, cooperative research improves capacity-building and establishes intellectual property rights within the fishing industry, and it encourages innovative approaches to management, such as adaptive and ecosystem-based approaches. Finally, guidelines for making cooperative research more effective are outlined.