for Stock Assessments and Evaluate Marine Protected Areas

Abstract.—Collaborative fisheries research (in contrast to cooperative research) is based on the intellectual partnership between scientists and fishermen and is an effective way to collect data for stock assessments and to evaluate marine protected areas. Collaborative fisheries research is discussed in the context of co management of marine resources and how it contributes to a more democratic form of fisheries management. Many benefits result from working together, including (1) the incorporation of fishers ’ knowledge and expertise into the management process and (2) the development of shared perspectives derived through science-based investigations on the status of marine resources. The California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program was formed in 2006 to participate in the monitoring of marine reserves established through California’s Marine Life Protection Act. This program has shown that it can serve as a model for other areas that are trying to implement collaborative research and that collaborative research can greatly contribute to the realization of community-based co-management of marine resources. Integrated, holistic approaches to management that 2008). Although the value of collaborative research is involve the collaboration and sharing of knowledge by recognized by many scientists and federal management stakeholders, resource managers, and scientists have agencies (NRC 2004), the use of collaborative fisheries been highlighted as a critical need for improving research has yet to be adopted as a mainstream tool fo