Conserving Atlantic Biodiversity by Supporting Innovative Small-scale Fisheries Co-management

CABFishMAN

Project Summary

CABFISHMAN is an international project aimed at improving the protection of the marine environment and marine resources in the Northeast Atlantic. By engaging small-scale fisheries and facilitating a collaborative approach between stakeholders, the project seeks to establish an ecosystem-sensitive approach to management of small-scale fisheries in the area.

The project seeks to build a future for small-fisheries management where fishers work confidently alongside managers, government officials and scientists. Together, facilitating a network of healthy, diverse ecosystems and fisheries in the Atlantic.

By engaging diverse groups with a stake in fisheries management the project will ensure that small-scale fisheries are included in decision making processes at all scales.

Conserving Atlantic Biodiversity by Supporting Innovative Small-scale Fisheries Co-management

Start and End Date

31.12.1969

Research Group

Fisheries, Biodiversity and Conservation

Coordinating Entity

Universidade do Algarve

CCMAR Coordinators

Jorge Manuel dos Santos Gonçalves

Funding agencies

Comissão Europeia

Website

Publications

The overall scope of CABFISHMAN’s work has been divided into eight areas of activity, each led by representatives from our Steering Group and contributed to by our consortium partners.

Communication: Our dedicated Communications Team facilitates interactions between stakeholders and project collaborators. Their priority is to ensure our work is disseminated in a manner that is meaningful and appropriate to all parties;
Tool development: We are designing an interactive tool which will allow users to describe and map small scale-fishing activity. By placing the Northeast Atlantic's small-scale fishing within a wider context, this tool will facilitate fisheries management, education, public awareness, and habitat protection.
Ecosystem-driven Management: An in-depth assessment of the economic, social, biological, and cultural benefits of a healthy ecosystem in the Northeast Atlantic will enable us to make recommendations for ecosystem-led fisheries management.
Fisheries' Natural and Cultural Heritage: Our analysis looks beyond fisheries as a source of food to consider their natural and cultural heritage values, allowing stakeholders to account for a real socioeconomic impact of fisheries and marine ecosystems across the region.
Small-Scale Fisheries Innovation: To understand practices used by small-scale fisheries across the Northeast Atlantic, we are analysing and evaluating existing fisheries data to create a resource for all stakeholders in the form of a map depicting small-scale fisheries activity.
Engagement: Our Engagement Team transforms the results of the CABFISHMAN project into practical information that stakeholders can use. This team aims to quickly and efficiently develop methods for more sustainable fishing in the Northeast Atlantic.
Coordination: CABFISHMAN is led by our project coordinators, who ensure that progress is effective, relevant and on-target. This team maintains communication channels between all parties, ensuring that tangible co-management and ecosystem-based objectives can be delivered.
Natural Capital: To maintain ecosystem integrity and identify areas of high pressure on biodiversity, we are assessing the impacts of small-scale fishing activities across the Northeast Atlantic. This information will help develop measures that will secure fishing resources long into the future.