Everything and the Fish: Complexities of International Fisheries Development

Many people at the start of their career have considerable ambitions to make a difference. Often the ambition extends beyond the local and national domain towards a global perspective.  This ambition can be is driven by the bug to travel or desire to help improve the livelihoods and well-being of the less fortunate, or to conserve the world’s biodiversity. Irrespective of the motive, to engage in such activities requires a blend of characteristics that goes beyond the norm in terms of skills, perceptions and engagement. 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 different sectors.  This paper explores some of the characteristics needed to align fisheries research and management in a wider multi-sectoral integrated ecosystem framework, if one is to succeed in ‘making a difference’ beyond ones national territory.