Communities select a target species for temporary closures. This should be short lived and fast growing to allow clear benefits to fisher catches, and preferably economically important to ensure financial returns on the opening. A second step is selecting the area to be closed. Communities discuss and agree site selection and fishing area with the establishment of the closure. Closures are better-suited to smaller villages to avoid them being overfished on opening day. Good collaboration between villages for surveillance and benefit-sharing at opening. Consult with commercial seafood buyers prior to closure implementation, to ensure that they are aware of the closure and supportive. If they are not supportive, they may encourage fishers not to respect the closures, or refuse to buy catches from closure-implementing villages. They also need to be ready to process a glut of seafood on opening day, which can present logistical challenges. Decide on timing of closure and opening. Seasonal variations in fishing and resource use patterns may mean that an area is only suitable for closure establishment during certain times of the year.
- Progressive seafood buyers who see the benefit of communities implementing closures - No decrease of price and even price incentives from seafood buyers for closure-implementing communities - Strong local leadership to galvanize support for the closures - Support from local government for the closure
- Seafood buyers must be consulted early on to ensure support. - Close to villages to allow monitoring - Outside of frequently travelled routes - In a suitable habitat for the target species - Big enough to produce local fishery benefits and handle the generally large number of fishers attending an opening day - Not so big villages cannot afford to forego use of the area - Decide what tide the opening should be on. Dependent upon movements of target species - Good implication of neighbouring villages - Several closures opening simultaneously in the same zone to avoid overfishing and bad impact on habitat in one site - Consider seasonality, environmental factors - Consider any national/regional fisheries closures as this can have legal and economic ramifications - Timing of closures and openings need to be discussed fully with the fishers to ensure that everyone is party to the decision and aware of the timings - No price decrease at opening and even price incentive.