Qualitative and quantitative research is conducted to produce profiles of both the fisheries and the fishers. Final decision for implementation sites and institutional partners for Brazil's first cohort were based on:
1) site fit (suitable ecological, fisheries, and social dynamics);
2) potential for strengthening the implementation of TURFs (=Territorial Use Rights for Fishing) and creation and implementation of no-take zones;
3) regional experience and lessons learned;
4) funding opportunities;
5) government (ICMBio) and partner priorities as opportunity for scaling; and,
6) analysis of potential threats to developing a TURF-Reserve (such as upstream dams, pollution, etc.).
This process is also instrumental to develop partnerships with local associations and leadership to approve the implementation of the campaigns in all sites.
The Brazil RESEX (=extractive coastal and marine reserves) framework offers a favorable set-up to implement TURF-Reserves. While there are differences in governance between local communities’ approach and that of the National Government (ICMBio), we believe there is a great opportunity for collaborating in improving the management of MPAs in Brazil. Additional policy work and advocacy are crucially needed as part of Brazil's country strategy in order to secure fisheries access rights.
- Fish Forever sites are carefully selected for potential impact. We learned from site selection that each site has a set of conditions that can enable success. We incorporated this lesson learned into the cohort selection process. Furthermore, some less-than-ideal sites will allow us to learn how to work across a wider range of sites.
- The chance to manage and ‘own’ their fisheries is a powerful benefit for fihsers, but biophysical and economic returns will also need to be estimated in order to motivate further communities.
- Related to the theme and the cohort objectives, a Pride+ strategy would be applied as the behavior change intervention strategy. Pride will address the expanded need beyond a social marketing approach, to also include other techniques, such as community mobilization, group-dynamic strategy, early on in order to create an enabling environment for the TURFs.