Lessons learned from case studies to rebuild fisheries

These case studies seek to identify the factors underlying the outcomes – successful or not – of various rebuilding plans and efforts. They cover many different fisheries both at the national and international levels and there are a set of common lessons to be learned. These include the importance of integrating economics early in the rebuilding design process as various social and economic aspects may hinder or help in the execution of the plan. This also underlines the importance of stakeholder involvement in designing the plans. If stakeholders are strongly opposed, the chances of success are low. Incremental approaches can be helpful, especially in situations where this is much uncertainty and little reliable data. The case study material also shows that monitoring and enforcement are necessary in order to deliver successful outcomes. Rebuilding international fisheries calls for joint and co-ordinated efforts of all countries involved in the fishery.