Unit 4

Data needs for fisheries management

Peter ManningFAO

Coastal Fisheries Policy and Planning Course, 28/01/08 – 8/02/08, Apia, Samoa

Secretariat of the Pacific Community

Informed public to support

management

Development of fisheries

management plansBetter

managementdecision-making

Tracking performance of

management plans

Why is fisheries data and analysis important…

Fishery data &

information

Assessment of fishery policy

Sound policy development

Typical Problems of Fishery Information

Poor quality of information

Limited/non use of information

Limited support for data collection

Shortage of trained personnel and finance

Lack of support for data collection

Problem self perpetuating...

Non-use of information

Poor quality of information

“Self-reinforcing” cycle of problems

What exacerbates data collection problems?

Dispersed, diversified small-scale activities for subsistence purpose – difficult to monitor

Archipelagic nature of small island countries – challenge logistics capacity

Weak linkage between policy/ management objectives and information generated

what exacerbates problems...(cont)

Production oriented data collection that give little attention to socio-economic aspects (e.g. income, consumption, employment /participation, gender roles)

Adoption of inappropriate methods of data collection – a valid system in a bigger country in temperate water may not be…

We need a data collection system that

Requires less money and people to run

Employs new approaches to meet specific requirements of small-scale multispecies fisheries

Generates relevant and sufficiently accurate data and information

a challenge!

what do we do? three basic questions:

WHY do we need the information? For what purposes do you use the information ?

WHAT data need to be collected? what are the data needed to meet the objectives of information users We do not need the data that no one uses

HOW best can the required data be collected?

fulfills fulfills

Fishery data & information collection system

define

Information requirements

determine

Fishery policy &management objectives

Other users’ needs

why

Some important elements in defining information

requirements

Effective consultation mechanism among various stakeholders

Periodical review of information requirements

WHAT: A simple exercise to clarify information

requirements?

Step 1: list important policy and management objectives, necessary actions to achieve objectives

Step 2: List data and information required for each objective

Step 3: Compare “the data needed” with “the data currently collected”

Step 4: Identify gaps and irrelevancies

An example of simple exercise to clarify information requirements

Step 1a: List importantpolicy/management objectives

• Support sustainable management of coastal fisheries resources

• Increase export income from the fisheries sector

• Alleviate poverty in fishing communities

• etc.

Step 1b: List necessary actions

•Delegate management authorities to communities•Zoning of coastal waters•Introduction of fishing rights•Establishment of marine protected areas•Promote value addition to fishery products•Access rights to foreign fleet•etc.

Data/information needed

Data items currently collected

Types of fish caught Types gears used Production trend of indicator

species (e.g. Rabbitfish) No of people harvest resources Occurrence of illegal activities

(e.g. poison fishing) Locations of critical habitats

(mangroves, sea grass beds, coral reefs)

• Volume of fish sold at fish markets

• Sales of fish by grade (Grade A, B and C)

• No. of registered fishing boats

Step 2 & 3: List the data required for each

objective and compare them with the data items

currently collected Objective 1: Sustainable management of coastal

resources

Identify the data gaps

Identify “irrelevant” data

When operational resources are scarce, can not spare precious resources on “nice to know” data while not collecting “need to know” data

Steps 4: Simple Gap Analysis

THANK YOU

NEXT

A STRATEGY FOR COLLECTING DATA IN DATA-POOR, BUDGET AND MANPOWER LIMITED

SITUATIONS