Types of Stewardship

Categories of Environmental Stewardship in Small-Scale Fisheries

Physical activity: This includes (1) actively protecting or restoring spaces or species in the ocean or freshwater; (2) planning for or responding to the impacts of climate change. The first topic covers spaces such as fish spawning or nursery areas, coastal mangroves and coral reefs, stream habitat, riverbanks and lakeshores, and wetlands, as well as species in need of conservation and protection (e.g. turtles and seahorses). The second topic includes activities that build protection from or restore areas damaged due to the impacts of climate change such as flooding, coastal erosion or saltwater incursion.

Managing fisheries: Developing and applying fishery management measures – typically drawing on scientific and/or traditional/local knowledge and practice – to contribute to environmental conservation and stewardship. Relevant measures may include (1) direct controls on fishing effort (how much fishing activity) or harvest (how much catch) or (2) controls on where/when fishing can take place, or restrictions on fishing gear used or species harvested or minimum size of fish or (3) participating in government-led co-management of local fisheries or in developing fishery management plans or in consultations on fishery conservation.

Managing use of aquatic areas including ecosystem-based management: Developing and implementing management measures that deal with specific aquatic areas and typically apply not only to fisheries but also to other uses of the area – to contribute to environmental conservation and stewardship of those aquatic areas and accordingly the health of local aquatic environments and biodiversity. This may include establishing, managing a closed area or a protected area or a sacred site and/or implementing other ecosystem conservation measures.

Broader-scale engagement and collaboration: Involvement of the fishing community or fisher organization in activities relating to environmental conservation/stewardship that take place at a broader level (e.g. state/province or national rather than the local area of the community or organization) and that are led by governments or donor agencies or NGOs (non-governmental organizations) or other bodies. These activities may focus on fishery management or on environmental conservation projects or on other activities relating to environmental conservation and stewardship.

Building knowledge and capacity: Collecting scientific data and/or building and utilizing traditional/local fishery and ecological knowledge and skills with a close connection to supporting environmental conservation and stewardship as well as directly building or enhancing stewardship capacity of the community or organization.

Monitoring: Regularly keeping track of (1) environmental conditions in aquatic habitats and ecosystems (including biodiversity, aquatic habitats, fishery ecosystems and/or climate) and (2) activities that may impact on the environment (e.g. tourism, coastal development) – all closely tied to goals of environmental conservation and stewardship.

Communications, education and outreach: Activities that directly and concretely support environmental conservation and stewardship of oceans or inland waters through education, advocacy, communications, outreach or other related activities – whether locally or by involvement in relevant government projects.