Co-Management Resources for Practitioners

Explore Resources by Guide Phase

• Phase 1 — Engage Communities and Stakeholders

   

  Purpose:

  Identify and engage fishery actors (fishers, communities, local government, NGOs, private sector, other freshwater users), confirm interest in community-led co-management, build trust, and agree on how decisions will be made. This phase centers equity and community voice, helping teams surface rights, responsibilities, and expectations early so subsequent activities are legitimate and durable. 

  Key Terms and Concepts:

  • Interested Parties are the individuals, groups, and institutions with an interest in the fishery who can potentially affect or be affected by the proposed work. 
  • Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC): Ensuring all parties agree to participate, with full information and no coercion. Full definition here: Free, Prior & Informed Consent - TNC Human Rights Guide
  • Stakeholder Mapping: Systematic identification of all relevant groups.

  What success looks like:

  Outcome: Established trust and clear decision-making agreements among all stakeholders, ensuring equity and community voice from the start.

  Outputs:

  • A shared, inclusive list of Interested Parties covering fishers (women and men), processors/traders, Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities, local leaders, and agencies across scales. 
  • A basic governance map of who decides what, where conflicts may arise, and how the group will address them. 
  • Documented engagement principles (e.g., consent processes, facilitation approach, feedback loops), reflecting Voice–Choice–Action and adaptive management values. 
  • Formal agreements for collaboration on community-led co-management of freshwater fisheries.

  Core Activities:

  1. Map Interested Parties
     Identify and describe all groups involved in or influencing co-management, including their roles, rights, and sensitivity to change.
  2. Validate and refine the map
     Review the stakeholder map with local contacts and experts to confirm accuracy and add missing groups.
  3. Prioritize engagement
     Determine which groups to engage immediately and which to involve later based on their importance and influence.
  4. Plan engagement strategy
     Develop communication and engagement plans that follow Free, Prior and Informed Consent and other relevant guidelines.
  5. Engage and listen
     Introduce key stakeholders to project objectives, raise awareness of threats and opportunities, and learn their visions and priorities.
  6. Secure formal agreement
     Obtain consent from key stakeholders to participate in co-management; without it, the project cannot proceed.
  7. Document and share information
     Record shared visions, notes, and agreements, and distribute them in accessible formats to all stakeholders.

  Resources:

  • A Good Practice Guide for Ethical and Inclusive Communications Involving Small-scale Fisheries
    

  Citation: Bevitt, K., Cohen, P.J., Diver, R., Kutub Uddin, M., Lukanga, E., Patel, A., Roshan, M., Solis Rivera, V., Westlund, L. 2022. A good practice guide for ethical and inclusive communications involving small-scale fisheries. Penang, Malaysia, WorldFish and Rome, FAO.

  Access here: https://doi.org/10.4060/cc0548en

  • Participatory Development: Guidelines on Beneficiary Participation in Agricultural and Rural Development

  Citation: Van Heck, Bernard. 2003. Participatory Development: Guidelines on Beneficiary Participation in Agricultural and Rural Development. 2nd ed. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

  Access here: https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/03e79b8f-e05d-47cd-87f6-199b4ad2a26f/content

  • Human Rights Guide for Working with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities

  Citation: The Nature Conservancy. 2021. Human Rights Guide for Working with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. PDF. https://www.tnchumanrightsguide.org/wp-content/uploads/TNC-Full-Guide-01-01.pdf.

  Access here: Home - TNC Human Rights Guide

  • Why the Gender Transformative Approach is Critical to Achieving more Equitable and Resilient Small-scale Fisheries in Sub-Saharan Africa

  Citation: FAO. 2023. Why the gender transformative approach is critical to achieving more equitable and resilient small-scale fisheries in sub-Saharan Africa. Accra.

  Access here: https://doi.org/10.4060/cc5134en

• Phase 2 — Build a Holistic Understanding of the Fishery

   

  Purpose:

  Develop a holistic and evidence-based understanding of the fishery’s ecological, social, and economic dynamics to inform decisions.

  Key Terms and Concepts:

  • Socio-Ecological System: Interconnected natural and human components of the fishery

  What success looks like:

  Outcome: A clear understanding of what drives fishing patterns—social, economic, ecological, and environmental factors—plus external influences and how they connect.

  Output: An easy-to-access set of documents that brings together existing and new information about the fishery. These documents outline key components and drivers, highlight knowledge gaps and future research needs, and identify constraints and opportunities for action.

  Core Activities:

  1. Gather and analyze information
     Collect and review all available data on the fishery across five core areas—environment, society, fishing patterns, governance, and external factors.
  2. Validate findings with stakeholders
     Hold workshops with communities and experts to share insights, confirm accuracy, and incorporate Indigenous and local knowledge.
  3. Identify knowledge gaps
     Work with experts to pinpoint critical gaps that must be addressed before moving forward.
  4. Fill critical gaps
     Conduct targeted activities, including field data collection and analysis, to close essential knowledge gaps.
  5. Create a holistic system map
     Collaborate with communities to summarize core area insights into a diagram or map showing key linkages.
  6. Share and review collectively
     Communicate the system map and findings with all stakeholders to build shared understanding and support.
  7. Surface challenges and priorities
     Ask communities to identify areas of concern and categorize them as fishery or non-fishery issues for next-phase planning.
  8. Organize and store data
     Maintain all documents and data in a structured system for easy access during governance design and future evaluation

  Resources:

  • Fishers' Ecological Knowledge Points to Fishing-Induced Changes in the Peruvian Amazon

  Citation: Poissant, David, Oliver T.Coomes, Brian E.Robinson, and GladysVargas Dávila. 2024. Fishers' Ecological Knowledge Points to Fishing-Induced Changes in the Peruvian Amazon. Ecological Applications34(5): e2964.

  Access here: https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2964

  • Methods to Use Fishers’ Knowledge for Fisheries Assessment and Management

  Citation: Orensanz, J. M. (Lobo), Ana M. Parma, and Ana M. Cinti. 2023. “Methods to Use Fishers’ Knowledge for Fisheries Assessment and Management.” Centro Nacional Patagónico (CONICET).

  Access here: selection (4).pdf

  • Fisheries Emergency Rapid Assessment Tool (FERAT)

  Citation: Lee, R. U., Read, A., Marttin, F., Poulain, F. & Funge-Smith, S. 2020. Fisheries Emergency Rapid Assessment Tool (FERAT). FAO. Rome, Italy.

  Access here: https://doi.org/10.4060/ca8261en

  • Socioeconomic Characteristics of Hilsa Fishers in the Ayeyarwady Delta, Myanmar

  Citation: Khaing, W., Akester, M., Garcia, E., Bladon, A. and Mohammed, E. (2018). Socioeconomic characteristics of hilsa fishers in the Ayeyarwady Delta, Myanmar .

  Access here: https://pubs.iied.org/16656IIED

  • Practical Guide for Gender Analysis in Small-scale Fisheries and Aquaculture in Southeast Asia

  Citation: SEAFDEC. 2020. Practical Guide for Gender Analysis in Small-scale Fisheries and Aquaculture in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Bangkok, Thailand. 64 p.

  Access here: http://repository.seafdec.org/handle/20.500.12066/6149

• Phase 3A — Strengthen Inland Fisheries Governance

   

  Purpose:

  Strengthen decision-making processes by building inclusive, transparent, and accountable fishery governance structures. 

  Key Terms and Concepts:

  • Governance: how decisions are made in fisheries, who is involved, and the rules, both formal and informal, that guide behavior.
  • Formal rules: Official policies and regulations
  • Informal rules: Community norms and practices.
  • Good Governance Principles
    • Transparency: Clear and open decision-making. 
    • Responsibility: Accountability for actions.
    • Accountability: Mechanisms to hold decision-makers answerable.
    • Participation: Inclusive involvement of stakeholders.
    • Responsiveness: Ability to address community needs.
  • Theory of Change: A roadmap that links activities to desired outcomes, clarifies assumptions, and sets timelines.

  What success looks like:

  Outcome: A stronger, more effective community-led co-management system with improved governance, enhanced stakeholder capacity, and better decision-making processes.

  Output: A set of governance objectives co-created by communities and stakeholders, along with agreed project activities, clear roles, and timelines for implementation.

  Core Activities:

  1. Review governance context
     Work with experts to analyze Phase 1 & 2 outputs and map decision-making processes, roles, and power dynamics.
  2. Assess governance quality
     Evaluate the current system against principles of transparency, accountability, responsibility, participation, and responsiveness.
  3. Define vision and objectives
     Hold workshops to agree on a shared governance vision and validate the current state assessment.
  4. Assign threats to phases
     Categorize fishery and non-fishery threats for governance or management actions based on context.
  5. Identify pathways for change
     Collaborate with stakeholders to outline potential strategies for achieving governance objectives.
  6. Develop a theory of change
     Create a roadmap that links activities to outcomes, clarifies assumptions, and sets timelines.
  7. Agree on activities and roles
     Engage communities to refine activities, resolve conflicts, and assign responsibilities.
  8. Draft governance workplan
     Combine strategies, timelines, and roles into a comprehensive draft plan.
  9. Share and gather feedback
     Communicate the draft plan to groups not yet involved and collect input.
  10. Finalize through negotiation
      Revise the plan collaboratively until all parties agree on expectations, roles, and timelines.

  Resources:

  • Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security

  Citation: FAO. 2022. Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security. First revision. Rome, Italy.

  Access here: https://doi.org/10.4060/i2801e

  • Small-scale Fisheries Governance: A Handbook in Support of the Implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication

  Citation: FAO. 2024. Small-scale fisheries governance – A handbook in support of the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication. Rome, Italy.

  Access here: https://doi.org/10.4060/cc9784en

  • Conflict and Collective Action in Tonle Sap Fisheries: Adapting Governance to Support Community Livelihoods

  Citation: Ratner, B.D., So, S., Mam, K., Oeur, I. and Kim, S. (2017), Conflict and collective action in Tonle Sap fisheries: adapting governance to support community livelihoods. Nat Resour Forum, 41: 71-82.

  Access here: https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-8947.12120

  • Towards Gender-Equitable Small-scale Fisheries Governance and development − A Handbook

  Citation: FAO. 2017. Towards gender-equitable small-scale fisheries governance and development − A handbook. In support of the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication, by Nilanjana Biswas. Rome, Italy.

  Access here: Knowledge Repository ::Home

  • Dialogues on Gender, Gender-based Violence, Masculinities, and Ethical and Gender-responsive Leadership in the Fisheries Sector: Facilitators Manual

  Citation: Mudege NN, Mdege N, Kilanga L and Lukanga E. 2025. Dialogues on gender, gender-based violence, masculinities, and ethical and gender-responsive leadership in the sheries sector: Facilitators manual. Penang Malaysia: WorldFish. Manual: 2025-88.

  Access here: digitalarchive.worldfishcenter.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/95b1cd3d-0f0d-4102-b579-98da9a982ea3/content

• Phase 3B — Effective Inland Fisheries Management

   

  Purpose:

  Co-create management rules and plans that balance healthy fish populations and a productive fishery that meets community needs and use.

  Key Terms and Concepts:

  • Management Plan: Document outlining rules, rights, and responsibilities.
  • Compliance: Mechanisms to ensure rules are followed.

  What success looks like:

  Outcome: A fisheries management plan developed collaboratively with communities and stakeholders—and, when needed, additional plans to address large-scale ecosystem processes that impact inland fisheries.

  Output: A documented management plan with clear objectives and expectations, including the rules, rights, roles, and responsibilities required to achieve them.

  Core Activities:

  1. Review opportunities and challenges
     Work with experts to assess how fishing and non-fishing activities impact ecosystems, fish populations, communities, and stakeholders.
  2. Engage communities and stakeholders
     Hold workshops to share findings and understand local visions, motivations, and objectives for the fishery.
  3. Define management objectives
     Agree on clear goals for both sustainable use and conservation of fish populations, based on identified challenges and opportunities.
  4. Develop a theory of change
     Collaborate with experts and stakeholders to outline pathways and activities to achieve fishery management objectives.
  5. Design an implementation plan
     Plan activities considering evidence, feasibility, cost, timeline, risks, and potential conflicts.
  6. Validate plans with stakeholders
     Present the theory of change and activity plans for discussion, transparency, and expectation management.
  7. Refine for local context
     Incorporate Indigenous knowledge, compliance strategies, and resource planning to ensure successful implementation.
  8. Draft the fishery management plan
     Document the refined plan, including goals, actions, roles, compliance mechanisms, resources, and conflict resolution processes.

  Resources:

  • Selection Criteria and Co-management Guidelines for River Fishery Harvest Reserves

  Citation: Department for International Development (DFID). 2000. Selection Criteria and Co-management Guidelines for River Fishery Harvest Reserves. Project R7043 of the UK Department For International Development’s Fisheries Management Science Programme (FMSP).

  Access here: Guidelines.PDF

  • A Simple Guide to Writing a Fishery Management Plan

  Citation: Hindson J, Hoggarth DD, Krishna M, Mees CC and O'Neill C. 2005. A Simple Guide to Writing a Fishery Management Plan How to Manage A Fishery. Project R8468 of the UK Department For International Development’s Fisheries Management Science Programme (FMSP).

  Access here: (PDF) A simple guide to writing a Fishery Management Plan How to Manage A Fishery

  • Guidelines for Community Fish Refuge - Rice Field Fisheries System Management in Cambodia

  Citation: Kim M, Mam K, Sean V, Try V, Brooks A, Thay S, Hav V and Gregory R. 2019. Guidelines for community fish refuge-rice field fisheries system management in Cambodia. Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Fisheries Administration and WorldFish Cambodia.

  Access here: content

  • Establishing and Managing Freshwater Fish Conservation Zones with Communities

  Citation: Loury, E. 2020. Establishing and Managing Freshwater Fish Conservation Zones with Communities: A guide based on lessons learned from Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund grantees in the Indo-Burma Hotspot. Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund. Arlington, VA.

  Access here: Establishing-and-Managing-Freshwater-Fish-Conservation-Zones-with-Communities-2.pdf

• Phase 4 — Create Learning Opportunities

   

  Purpose:

  Integrate governance and management plans, identify synergies, and create opportunities for learning and adaptation. 

  Key Terms and Concepts:

  • Consolidation: Combining plans to maximize efficiency and impact.
  • Learning Priorities: Areas where new knowledge is needed.
  • Adaptive Management: Iterative improvement based on learning.

  What success looks like:

  Outcome: Better understanding of the fishery and future adaptive management cycles by 1) consolidated governance and management plans, 2) activities filling information gaps and 3) validation of assumptions in planning and decision-making.

  Output: A unified project plan that outlines specific activities and generates new insights about the fishery to support ongoing learning.

  Core Activities:

  1. Identify interaction points
     Map where governance and management plans overlap in objectives, activities, timing, and information flow.
  2. Revise plans for efficiency
     Update plans to leverage synergies, reduce duplication, and streamline processes without compromising results.
  3. Combine plans into one
     Create a single consolidated plan while clearly labeling governance and management activities for reference.
  4. Define learning priorities
     Work with experts to identify knowledge gaps, emerging challenges, and opportunities that impact objectives.
  5. Plan learning activities
     Collaborate with stakeholders to design activities such as knowledge sharing, experimentation, and training.
  6. Integrate high-priority actions
     Evaluate and include the most impactful, practical learning activities in the combined plan, linking them to data collection and evaluation phases.

  Resources:

  • Method of Consensus Building: Community Based Aquatic Habitat and Floodplain Fisheries Management in the Mekong Delta

  Citation: The World Fish Center (2002). Method of consensus building: community based aquatic habitat and floodplain fisheries management in the Mekong Delta. ICLARM-The World Fish Center. Penang, Malaysia. 35 p.

  Access here: content

  • Strengthening Coherence between Social Protection and Fisheries Policies – Framework for Analysis and Action

  Citation: FAO. 2022. Strengthening coherence between social protection and fisheries policies – Framework for analysis and action. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 671/1. Rome, Italy.

  Access here: https://doi.org/10.4060/cc2411en

  • Integrating Biological Conservation into Management: Community Adaptive Learning in the Wetlands of Bangladesh

  Citation: Thompson, Paul, Parvin Sultana, and Robert Arthur. 2010. “Integrating Biological Conservation into Management: Community Adaptive Learning in the Wetlands of Bangladesh.” Biodiversity 11 (1–2): 31–38. 

  Access here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14888386.2010.9712644

  • Getting Beneath the Surface in Program Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation: Learning from Use of Participatory Action Research and Theory of Change in the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems

  Citation: Apgar, J. M., Allen, W., Albert, J., Douthwaite, B., Paz Ybarnegaray, R., & Lunda, J. (2017). Getting beneath the surface in program planning, monitoring and evaluation: Learning from use of participatory action research and theory of change in the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems. Action Research, 15(1), 15-34.

  Access here: https://doi.org/10.1177/1476750316673879

• Phase 5 — Data Collection for Decision-Making

   

  Purpose:

  Plan and implement data collection to support decision-making, monitoring, and evaluation. 

  Key Terms and Concepts:

  • Metrics and Indicators: Measures of project progress and outcomes.
  • Data Management: Secure storage and sharing of collected data.
  • Monitoring and Evaluation: Tracking and assessing project effectiveness.

  What success looks like:

  Outcome: Data is collected, analyzed, and stored to support evidence-based fisheries governance and management plans, while addressing previously identified learning priorities.

  Output: A detailed data collection plan that defines team roles, responsibilities, and any external support needed, ensuring data is gathered and stored at the right resolution for effective use.

  Core Activities:

  1. Review data needs
     Work with experts to identify data required for decision-making, impact evaluation, and filling knowledge gaps.
  2. Prioritize data collection
     Rank data needs based on their importance for project success and ability to validate assumptions or fill gaps.
  3. Define metrics and indicators
     Design clear measures and indicators for prioritized data needs, using secondary indicators where helpful.
  4. Determine data requirements
     Clarify who will use the data, how it will be used, and key characteristics like resolution, timeliness, and cost.
  5. Plan data collection activities
     Collaborate with experts and stakeholders to design collection and analysis plans, allocating sufficient budget.
  6. Assign roles and responsibilities
     Define team roles for data collection and ensure ethical practices, including Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).
  7. Prepare resources and training
     Provide necessary training and procure supplies and equipment for data collection.
  8. Pilot the data collection process
     Run a test study to validate the design and identify improvements before full implementation.
  9. Establish data management protocols
     Create systems for data storage, security, privacy, and assign access rights.
  10. Finalize the data protocol
      Combine all steps into a streamlined data collection and analysis protocol for inclusion in governance and management plans.

  Resources:

  • Methods for Assessing Fish Populations

  Citation: Pope, Kevin L.; Lochmann, Steve E.; Young, Michael K. 2010. Methods for assessing fish populations. In: Hubert, Wayne A; Quist, Michael C., eds. Inland Fisheries Management in North America, 3rd edition. Bethesda, MD: American Fisheries Society: 325-351.

  Access here: Methods for Assessing Fish Populations

  • Guidelines for Designing Data Collection and Sharing Systems for Co-managed Fisheries. Part 1: Practical Guide

  Citation: Halls, A.S.; Arthur, R.I.; Bartley, D.; Felsing, M.; Grainger, R.; Hartmann, W.; Lamberts, D.; Purvis, J.; Sultana, P.; Thompson, P.; Walmsley, S. Guidelines for designing data collection and sharing systems for co-managed fisheries. Part 1: Practical guide. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 494/1. Rome, FAO. 2005. 42p.

  Access here: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/a0230e

  • -I Fish, Therefore I Monitor: Participatory Monitoring to Assess Inland Small-scale Fisheries

  Citation: Reis-Filho, J.A., Ramos-Filho, F., Castello, L. et al. -I fish, therefore I monitor: Participatory monitoring to assess inland small-scale fisheries. Environmental Management 72, 540–557 (2023). 

  Access here: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-023-01819-8

  • Effective Monitoring of Freshwater Fish

  Citation: Radinger, Johannes, J. Robert Britton, Stephanie M. Carlson, Anne E. Magurran, Juan Diego Alcaraz-Hernández, Ana Almodóvar, Lluís Benejam, Carlos Fernández-Delgado, Graciela G. Nicola, Francisco J. Oliva-Paterna, Mar Torralva, and Emili García-Berthou. 2019. “Effective Monitoring of Freshwater Fish.” Fish and Fisheries 20 (4): 729–747.

  Access here: https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12373

  • Women's Empowerment in Fisheries and Aquaculture Index (WEFI): Guidance Notes

  Citation: Cynthia McDougall, Froukje Kruijssen, Katie Sproule, Elena Serfilippi, Surendran Rajaratnam, Julie Newton, Rahma Adam. (4/3/2022). Women's Empowerment in Fisheries and Aquaculture Index (WEFI): Guidance Notes. Penang, Malaysia: WorldFish.

  Access here: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12348/5107

• Phase 6 — Learning and Adapting

   

  Purpose:

  Reflect on project activities, evaluate outcomes, and adapt future actions for continuous improvement. 

  Key Terms and Concepts:

  • Pause and Reflect: Sessions to review progress and challenges.
  • Exit Strategy: Planning for long-term sustainability beyond the project.

  What success looks like:

  Outcome: Future management cycles improve by learning from past activities—evaluating what worked, what didn’t, and adapting actions for better results.

  Output: A transparent assessment from the project team, communities, and stakeholders documenting successes, challenges, and lessons learned, along with concrete steps for the next cycle.

  Core Activities:

  1. Analyze data effectively
     Ensure proper handling and analysis of data to measure progress toward governance and management objectives.
  2. Hold pause-and-reflect sessions
     Facilitate open discussions with teams, communities, and stakeholders to review progress, challenges, and lessons learned.
  3. Share findings transparently
     Prepare and distribute a report summarizing insights from the sessions to all partners and stakeholders.
  4. Review and document next-phase considerations
     Identify unresolved issues, new opportunities, and updated assumptions to inform future planning.
  5. Develop an action plan for the next cycle
     Create and share a plan that builds on lessons learned and addresses priorities for the upcoming adaptive management cycle.

  Resources:

  • Fisheries Co-Management in Inland Waters: A Review of International Experience

  Citation: Allison EH and Badjeck M-C. 2004. Fisheries Co-Management in Inland Waters: A Review of International Experience. FAO and DFID.

  Access here: Inland fisheries management review

  • Guidebook for Evaluating Fisheries Co-management Effectiveness

  Citation: Pomeroy, R.S., Oh, K., Martone, E., Westlund, L., Josupeit, H. and Son, Y. 2022. Guidebook for evaluating fisheries co-management effectiveness. Rome, FAO.

  Access here: https://doi.org/10.4060/cc2228en

  • Fisheries Co-management in Hilsa Shad Sanctuaries of Bangladesh: Early Experiences and Implementation Challenge

  Citation: Mohammad Mahmudul Islam, Md. Nahiduzzaman, Md. Abdul Wahab. 2020. Fisheries co-management in hilsa shad sanctuaries of Bangladesh: Early experiences and implementation challenges. Marine Policy, Volume 117, 103955. ISSN 0308-597X.

  Access here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2020.103955