A Framework for Cooperative Research and Management

In cooperative fisheries research, scientists and stakeholders seek to leverage each other’s strengths to address what are often complex management issues. Success can be easily identified: when the outcome of collaboration is greater than results produced independently. Few doubt the value of cooperative fisheries research, but the diversity of fishery systems can obscure simplistic summaries of best practices. Fisheries occur globally: in freshwater, estuarine, and marine systems; with artisanal, commercial, and recreational fisheries; at small- and large-scales. Cooperative research has traditionally focused on addressing a single problem, such as bycatch reduction through gear engineering, or gathering life history information needed for stock assessments. Advanced technology, citizen-scientist initiatives, and broader inclusion of human dimensions in fisheries, to name a few, have expanded the opportunities for scientist-stakeholder partnerships. Such partnerships are inherently multidisciplinary, cross-disciplinary, interdisciplinary, or possibly transdisciplinary, depending upon the level of partner engagement throughout the process. In this introductory presentation, we review various frameworks of cooperation to establish a common lexicon, outline the scope of collaborative styles, comment on best practices, and highlight areas of growth or innovation. Subsequent talks in this symposium will exhibit many more examples, from freshwater to marine systems, and build on these themes.