Effective Leadership Through Multijurisdictional Research

Fisheries management throughout the world is traditionally underpinned by research on ecological and stock assessment aspects of the target stocks or populations.  The information is then fed through a management cycle to support decisions about the direct management of the stocks. Unfortunately this approach fails to account for the wider environmental, ecological and social dimensions of fisheries and more so the multiple jurisdictions and stakeholders involved in the management of the target stocks and associated ecosystems. To be effective requires coordination to bring together players from the various jurisdictions and social levels to act in a strategic manner as well as understanding the motives and drivers of the different sectors.  This paper explores the need for research leadership to align fisheries in a wider multi-sectoral integrated ecosystem management framework, using case studies from the Mekong River and Kafue Flats wetlands in Zambia.