Delivering stakeholder-led research in support of collaborative management of small-scale fisheries
CABFishMan (Conserving Atlantic Biodiversity by Supporting Innovative Small-Scale Fisheries Co-management) was an international research project that worked with small-scale fisheries stakeholders in the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, and Portugal to develop methods and deliver tools that would protect marine resources and facilitate truly collaborative management.
We engaged with stakeholders to develop a communications strategy that reflected the holistic value of small-scale fisheries – from the economic potential of fishing grounds to their provision of cultural heritage and social identity. We worked closely with research leads to take their insights and publicise them via accessible communications pieces that were designed to maximise their impact.
Our work went from wheelhouse to policy desk – featuring international sector-specific press campaigns that made sure fishers knew what tools CABFishMan could make available to them, and bespoke policy briefs that connected the dots between our work and the policy priorities of each project country. Feedback from stakeholders was overwhelmingly positive, with elements of CABFishMan’s work taken up in ongoing Europe-wide research projects.