Case 3-2 Adjusting fishing effort by limiting the number of hooks in longline fisheries: case study of consensus building through participatory research
| Key words | longline fishing, hook number limits, participatory research, CRODT, COGEPAS, grouper, Joal |
| Context | Catches of Joal grouper (Epinephelus aeneus) in Senegal have diminished from almost 4,000 metric tons in 1985 to 1,934 metric tons in 2010, probably due to overfishing. This case study focuses on how COGEPAS has managed the fishery for the benefit of Joal’s grouper resources. In Joal, with the support from COGEPAS, a consensus-building process was initiated for grouper fishing through the introduction of participatory research. How was this conducted? |
| Content | Most of the groupers caught in Joal are fished by longline. COGEPAS organised participatory research with fishers and provided a common platform for fishers, CRODT researchers and administrators from the Directorate of Fisheries to discuss how to manage the grouper resource by sharing the results. Thus, it was agreed that (1) the number of hooks would be reduced and (2) the proportion of small fish caught would be reduced by mixing hooks of different sizes. This fisheries resource management plan was signed by the parties involved and came into force in May 2012. This was the first fisheries resource management activity targeting Senegal’s national fish, the grouper. As confirmed in June 2017 by the Fisheries Department of Joal, this resource management activity was neither followed up sufficiently nor adopted by many fishermen. This result left a challenge in the sustainable implementation of the resource management activities that were agreed upon through the participatory research. |
| Lessons Learned | This case study presents a new methodology that provides a forum for building consensus among fishermen and other stakeholders through participatory research. However, the follow-up on the resource management activities that were developed was insufficient and did not produce tangible results. |
| Guideline chapter relevant to this case study | Chapter 3 Implementation of resource management measures 3.1 Resource management measures 3.1.1 Adjustment of fishing effortThere are various methods for adjusting fishing effort levels, such as restrictions on the number of purse seine fishing nets, limits on the number of hooks used in longline fishing, reduction of fishing hours, and the dispersion of target resources through the introduction of new technologies. |
| Situation to which this case study could refer | This case study can serve as a reference for limiting the number of hooks on longlines to adjust fishing effort, as well as an effective example for introducing participatory research by research institutions with fishermen to resource management activities. |