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Integrated, holistic approaches to management that involve the collaboration and sharing of knowledge by stakeholders, resource managers, and scientists have been highlighted as a critical need for improving coastal resource management (Pew Ocean Commission 2003; California Ocean Action Strategy 2004; U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy 2004; McLeod et al. 2005; Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005; Leslie and McLeod 2007; Hildreth 2008; McLeod and Leslie 2009). There is a growing awareness that integrating science and stakeholders into the management of marine resources can result in a more effective and socially acceptable process that can lead to better management and stewardship (e.g., Sen and Nielsen 1996; Wilson 1999; Martin‐Smith et al. 2004; Verheij et al. 2004; Hartley and Robertson 2006; Kitts et al. 2007; Cheong 2008; Davis 2008). Indeed, a recent historical analysis of fisheries that were managed under conditions where local communities and fishermen had rights‐based catch shares show that such approaches are less likely than traditional management approaches to result in the collapse of the resource (Costello et al. 2008). Although the value of collaborative research is recognized by many scientists and federal management agencies (NRC 2004), the use of collaborative fisheries research has yet to be adopted as a mainstream tool for fisheries management. This remains true despite the recognition that scientists and fishermen acknowledge that they learn from each other in collaborative research projects (Conway and Pomeroy 2006).
Developing collaborative fisheries research is one element by which coastal communities can move toward more effective management with stakeholder and scientific knowledge as part of a more holistic management processes (Wilson 1999; Hartley and Robertson 2006; Leslie and McLeod 2007). In this article, we (1) provide a brief review of the concept of co‐management as it relates to collaborative fisheries research; (2) define the differences between “cooperative” and “collaborative” research; (3) discuss different models for collaborative research; (4) present the rationale for implementing collaborative fisheries research; and (5) provide an overview of the approach we developed by describing the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP).
Co‐Management: The Move to Democratic Management of Marine Resources
Co‐management of marine resources is...