Led by Spaw-Rac

To assess and map the interactions between fishers and marine megafauna

During this first phase, SPAW-RAC, as a beneficiary partner, coordinated Work Package 1, which focused on analyzing interactions between local fisheries and marine megafauna.

Given the lack of available data on the interactions between megafauna and fisheries, this first focus area was entirely dedicated to this topic. It aimed to develop and implement, in collaboration with Caribbean fisheries management organizations, an assessment of the socio-economic and environmental issues related to the interactions between fishing activities and marine megafauna.

To achieve this objective, three main actions were implemented during the first phase of CAMAC in 2023:

1) The creation of a scientific and technical advisory committee to support the actions, including stakeholders in the fishing sector;

2) The synthesis of available information and data on fishing activities in the region and their interactions with marine megafauna;

3) The identification of priority areas for the knowledge-building activities planned for Phase 2.

The results of the work carried out in Phase 1, along with the associated deliverable, are available here.

After more than a year of collecting and digitizing available data from the territories included in the CAMAC project, experts gathered at a regional workshop to assess the main interactions between fishing and marine megafauna. An analysis of the available and missing data led the experts to propose a method for assessing the risk of these interactions, in order to refine the areas where fishing activities overlap with the presence of marine megafauna (spawning grounds, feeding areas, etc.).

Four pilot sites were pre-identified based on criteria including, in particular, the existence of a clearly identified local problem related to bycatch, the motivation and organization of the fishing communities involved, the presence of previous initiatives on the subject, and the richness and availability of scientific data relating to marine megafauna. The surveys that will take place on these sites will be organized during the second phase of the project.

During Phase 2, SPAW-RAC oversees the implementation of socio-professional surveys conducted with fishing communities. These surveys, which will be carried out between May and August 2026, aim to collect field data, which will be analyzed using statistical tools, then validated in consultation with the communities concerned before being transformed into concrete recommendations for decision-makers.

Specific objective:

In line with the objectives and missions defined in phase 1, phase 2 aims to:

1. Identify and establish pilot sites where surveys will be conducted,
2. Conduct these surveys using a collaborative approach (CFR), involving local stakeholders from the earliest stages of the project,
3. Analyze the results and data collected and then co-develop decision-making tools,
4. Co-develop, with local stakeholders (fishermen, government agencies, NGOs), concerted, concrete recommendations and actions adapted to each territory in order to promote optimal coexistence between fishing activities and the preservation of marine megafauna.

Protocol:

1. Select the 4 pilot sites based on the criteria established in phase 1.
2. Develop a questionnaire that meets the requirements of the CFR method and the statistical analysis model (ByRA type).
3. Train investigators from within the local community and conduct the surveys at the pilot sites.
4. Analyze the results and discuss them with the surveyed fishers to develop consistent final results.
5. Co-develop recommendations that are applicable and feasible for the local communities.

Progress:

The SPAW RAC relies on two consultants to carry out these actions:

• Michel Nalovic (fishingcleaner.com), an expert in bycatch and the collaborative fisheries management approach; and
• Carlos Tamayo (Seasearch Analytics), an expert in biostatistics.

The pilot sites are located in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Haiti, and the Magdalena region of Colombia.

The questionnaire was finalized through collaborative work between the bycatch expert, the CFR method expert, and the statistical expert. The questionnaire was field-tested in the Dominican Republic before being approved by experts at the WP1 workshop of the CAMAC project launch event in Santo Domingo.

Samples from the questionnaire

The current phase will involve organizing surveys at the pilot sites, including recruiting and training investigators in late 2025 and early 2026.

Géraldine Conruyt - Deputy director SPAW RAC

geraldine.conruyt@developpement-durable.gouv.fr