3.1 Resource management measures
Principles for the selection of management measures
To enhance the sustainability of fisheries resources and improve fisheries management, a resource management plan will be formulated and implemented by combining the following resource management measures that are considered appropriate depending on the on-site situation. However, how can the technical information necessary to plan and implement the various management measures described here be obtained (e.g. how can the spawning season and area of the species to be managed be determined), and based on what policies and concepts should the best resource management measures be selected?
In West Africa, biological knowledge to contribute to resource management is generally insufficient. Resource management activities that rely on scientific data often face difficulties. An alternative is to use the local environmental knowledge (LEK) and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of local fishermen. The methods of obtaining the technical information necessary to develop the various management measures are described in the individual management measures and the basic policy and approach for selecting the most appropriate resource management strategy are as follows:
(1) How to determine resources to manage?
Whether targeting a single or several species, the entire body of water should be considered. When a single or multiple species are targeted, fishermen can fish for other species even during the closed season for the target species, which makes it easier for fishermen to understand. On the other hand, when the entire maritime area is targeted, such as the creation of a marine protected area, it is effective in protecting the targeted resource and preserving the habitat environment as a whole and it is easy to gain an understanding of non-fishery sectors, such as environmental protection groups. However, there is a challenge in coordinating with fishermen who use the area as fishing grounds.
(2) How to decide areas for resource management measures?
If there are several fishermen in several fishing villages using the same resources at the same time and in the same fishing area, resource management activities must be implemented that cover all these villages. This is because it is essential for the management of targeted fisheries resources and to avoid any feeling of injustice among fishermen. Therefore, attention should be paid to the relationship between the characteristics of the resources to manage (e.g. sedentary and migratory and life cycle of the resource) and the extent of the area covered by the activities.
(3) How to define the target people (stakeholders) of resource management measures?
An important issue in fisheries resource management in West Africa is the involvement of fishermen who catch the same fish in the same area using different fishing methods and migrant fishermen who come from outside to conduct fishing activities during the fishing season in resource management activities. If migrant fishermen and those who use different fishing methods in the target resource or area are involved in production activities, consideration should be given to how to involve these fishermen in fisheries resource management.
In the case where fishermen who go out to sea to engage in fishing activities are employed, understanding their employers, such as ship owners, who are not directly engaged in fishing, is important for conducting resource management activities. The method and content of resource management measures differ depending on how stakeholders in the fisheries value chain, who process, sell, and distribute fish, are targeted in addition to fishers.
For resource management in West Africa, it is important to promote behavioural change among fishers, who tend to favour their own interests. It is necessary to establish a mechanism to target people for resource management measures and encourage them to change their behaviour.
The following are some of the resource management measures that members of resource management organisations are implementing on their own initiative with the support of the Fisheries Directorate and other government agencies.