Role of Networks in Building Conservation Engineering and Collaborative Fisheries Research Capacity

The Northeast Cooperative Research Program (NCRP) began in 1999. Its mission is to create opportunities for fishing industry, science and management communities to work collaboratively to solve marine fisheries problems and provide higher quality and more timely data for assessments. It generally funded annually competed research projects through a traditional grants program. For the most part, this resulted in many individualized and uncoordinated projects. Silo myopic results from individual studies resulted that were difficult to integrate into a broader management application. A new model for a more network oriented collaborative research program was established. The new approach seeks to create a more integrated, coordinated, and efficient cooperative research program by creating a network of fishing enterprises, fishing gear manufacturers, fishery researchers, social and economic experts, and managers. This brings a more diverse compliment of necessary expertise and resources to bear on specific fishery problems. Experts from multiple research groups, universities, fishing organizations, fishing gear manufacturers and managers from State, Federal or Councils’ staff bring their individual strengths to the program. This collaborative approach optimizes success in addressing critical research and management needs and minimizes individualized, inefficient, and fragmented research projects.