WITH SUPPORT FROM WOODS ENVIRONMENTAL VENTURES PROJECT
When addressing the global degradation of marine ecosystems, marine conservationists often have developed and attempted to implement solutions that clash with the needs of the fishing communities who rely on the ocean for their livelihoods, culture, and wellbeing. This mismatch has resulted in illegal fishing, ongoing conflict, and the failure to achieve both environmental and socioeconomic objectives. This project seeks to illuminate and inform more effective and equitable ocean management solutions rooted in the needs, values, and knowledges of local fishers and fishing communities. Through participatory focus groups and social network analysis with communities in Belau and Galápagos, two of the world’s most celebrated and biodiverse archipelagos, we are co-developing research and educational efforts aimed at identifying and implementing community-led solutions to our oceans’ most pressing challenges.