The power of collaboration in multifishery improvement initiatives

Abstract Addressing diverse and complex socio-ecological challenges is crucial for achieving ocean sustainability. This is especially true for effective fishery management, which is vital for the sustainability of marine resources. One way of overcoming barriers to fisheries reform is through interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative management and policy approaches. One such approach is market incentives offered by eco-certification against sustainability standards, such as those set by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Complementary interventions that support sustainability improvements are fishery improvement projects (FIPs) and MSC pathway projects. These interventions have clear intermediary and final objectives, and monitoring impact throughout the implementation process remains important. We interviewed participants of a pathway project from five fisheries in South Africa and Mexico using semistructured interviews designed to capture the nonmonetary impacts of these projects as they progress. Our results show that interventions can play a role in facilitating broader collaboration within a fishery and across stakeholder groups, increasing sustainability awareness. Emphasizing the importance of stakeholder engagement and collaboration, we highlight how the project implementation process can lead to communication changes that lead to improved understanding and collaboration. Importantly, we reflect on the suitability of the survey in monitoring progress in such projects.