In February 2015 GAP2 held its International Symposium on Participatory Research and Co-management in Fisheries. The event allowed all GAP2 participants and partners to reflect on their experiences from the project and discuss the future of participatory research in fisheries management. We wanted to share the experience with you, so together, GAP2 and WWF Mediterranean have interviewed some key representatives of the GAP2 Project. Please scroll down to see the videos, and happy viewing!
If you would like to see a full, 6 minute, round-up of the whole symposium, including extra footage of the event and interview clips, please click here.
Steven Mackinson – Senior Scientist at CEFAS and GAP2 Coordinator
“There are three reasons why this symposium is important, one is to give researchers, policy makers and scientists involved in participatory research the opportunity to come together to share their expertise.” – Steven Mackinson
Kevin Arscott – Lobster Fisher involved in GAP2’s UK Brown Crab Case Study
“I think we both work well together really (scientists and fishers). We learn from each other. You have got to give each other trust … what I can say that from my experience is that it has been really good fun and very positive.” – Kevin Arscott
Antonio Scarafino – Research Programme Officer at DG Research and Innovation, European Commission
“Co-management is a way to bring [fishers] on board, show them the bigger picture… and empower them. ” – Antonio Scarafino
Robert Stephenson – Network Principal Investigator at the Canadian Fisheries Research Network
“There are many benefits to a participatory approach. First of all, information from the fishing industry which is really valuable to management, we are able to obtain that through a collaborative approach.” – Robert Stephenson
Kevin Squires – Lobster Fisher and Researcher at the Canadian Fisheries Research Network
“Participatory research is a great opportunity for young fishermen starting out – it’s a way to start learning how science is done, and to identify the questions they want researched”. – Kevin Squires
If you have any queries or would like any more information, please contact Lauren Weir. Remember to keep up to date with GAP2’s work by following us on Twitter and Facebook: @GAP2_Project /www.facebook.com/GAP2Project.
