Fostering Fisheries Management Efficiency Through Collaboration Networks: The Case of the Kanan Kay Alliance in the Mexican Caribbean

A Moreno, L Bourillón, E Flores, S Fulton
Posted on: 10/19/2018 - Updated on: 2/28/2020

Posted by

CAKE Team

Abstract

After decades of implementation of territorial use rights in sheries (TURFs) and other sheries management measures around the world, it is clear that monitoring their progress and results in biological and socioeconomic terms is necessary, and that involving shers in the design and implementation will improve their likelihood of success. However, what receives less attention is the importance of multistakeholder collaboration, communication, and shared vision that increase management implementation capacity and effectiveness, while achieving an efficient use of the limited resources available to sheries managers. Five years ago, an initiative called “Kanan Kay Alliance” emerged in Mexico: a voluntary, multistakeholder collaborative network formed by 40+ organizations ( shing cooperatives, government, non-governmental organizations, researchers, and philanthropic foundations). The alliance established a shared vision and collaborative work plan focused on the establishment of fish refuges (no-take zones) within TURFs across the Mexican Caribbean. The Kanan Kay Alliance offers a unique opportunity for dialogue, promotes value-added collaborative actions, and reinforces key initiatives. This collaborative model grounds management measures in a participatory and inclusive way, fostering their effectiveness and e ciency, as well as potential for reaching scale. Here we document the establishment of the Kanan Kay Alliance and provide recommendations for the replication of similar initiatives.