There are several critical organizations within communities that need to be developed or strengthened in order to ensure long-term success of the fisheries management. Campaigns must ensure that the fishery councils, the management bodies, and the fisher associations are organized and well-functioning. They are trained on topics like adaptive fisheries management, management essentials, volunteer management, and team building.
To implement a shared management system, each RESEX has its own deliberative council, a management body of community-elected members, representing and voting on behalf of the community. Rare works directly with this group to improve the decision-making process at a community level. Rare’s local implementation partners are small associations with strong connections to the community. They are able to effectively manage funds and participate directly in the campaign project designs.
Engaging the management body in definng the campaigns' goals, was a key milestone for Fish Forever campaigns. When these groups understood and supported Rare’s strategies, they were more willing to support the implementation of no-take zones and other sustainable fisheries management practices, like ACRES. Campaigns and capacity-building trainings also empowered these groups to share knowledge and positive experiences to other MPAs and management bodies in Brazil, through national fisheries organizations, who also supported in the replication and scaling of the next Fish Forever cohort.