When the needs for capacity building are evaluated, it is time to deliver the trainings regarding management, e.g. state regulations, creating officially recognized bylaws, and monitoring, and on technical topics such as legal fishing practices and patrolling.

When supporting existing management systems and committees, it is recommended to assess the group’s status by reviewing its membership size, existing statutes or bylaws including objectives, management structure, and activities. Then evaluate the management committee’s ability to fulfil its foreseen obligations either through individual interviews and questionnaires or focus-group discussions.  If existing organisations are not operational, it may be necessary to work with the local fisheries authorities to revive the current structure and to ensure that these organisations are being supported in fulfilling their tasks. This can be through revisions of statues, assistance with the registration at fisheries administrations, the identification of fundraising aims, or the recruitment of new members.

It is recommended to form a local group through elections if none already exists. The community and relevant parties need to be notified about the upcoming election (e.g. through community meetings, village get-togethers, and other events) and to find possible candidates for the committee that will lead the communities fisheries resource management (e.g. by speaking with influential members of the community and contacting the relevant candidates directly). The election should be attended by local government representatives, interested parties, and the public. 

After the election, it is important to provide the newly elected committee with technical support to help them establish their management structure during their first meeting. This includes defining roles such as secretary, accountant, leader, and vice leader.

Community-based approaches refer to strategies that involve local communities in the management and decision-making processes of their natural resources. In the context of fisheries management, these approaches engage local inhabitants in conserving and sustainably managing fish stocks and aquatic ecosystems. This local involvement helps ensure that fishery management practices are culturally appropriate, environmentally sustainable, and economically beneficial, ultimately leading to improved resource management and community well-being. Such approaches are particularly relevant for small-scale fisheries in natural waterbodies, where community livelihoods are closely tied to the health and productivity of aquatic environments.

The community entry process is a systematic method to initiate successful and sustainable fisheries management by focusing on trust and close cooperations between local communities and other stakeholders. The solution outlines the measures required to establish those cooperations and a fisheries management system through the election of a management committee. Furthermore, the approach assists existing or new established committees, such as dam or community fish refuge committees to develop objectives and activities, an effective administration and monitoring and evaluation system.

As a first step, to evaluate the feasibility of a community-led fisheries management system, it is most important to comprehend the current situation in the community regarding the power dynamics between relevant players, such as local government and community representatives. Going to the right location, doing site inspections, and having one-on-one meetings with those stakeholders are part of this phase in the process. These activities can be further supported by conducting workshops or interviews with all stakeholders.

The implementation of these CSA practices has led to significant changes in beneficiary behavior. Minority groups have started adopting appropriate CSA technologies, engaging with local technical advisors, diversifying income sources, and exploring market opportunities. Additionally, knowledge and skills related to CSA techniques have been disseminated to the local community through project partners, including unions and institutions.

The final gender transformative approach is not only to change relations, but also to initiate changes in structural boundaries, policies, and rights by strengthening local, national, and regional platforms where women can connect and share their knowledge and experiences.

On a local level for example Ugandan women organised themselves in groups to even out some economic disadvantages they face due to lack of capital and utensils to process fish. They are led by the “Katosi Women Development Trust” (KWDT) and received modern equipment such as smoking kilns by RFBCP, thus helping to balance ­children, household, and fish processing. With the help of business development training the women in the group can organise themselves, share their skills with each other, and can invest their savings in new equipment without having to rely on external support in the long term. 

On the national level, the programme also supported the establishment of the “Uganda National Women’s Fish Organization” (UNWFO), a platform for women processors and traders in Uganda. The network focuses on creating sustainable opportunities, fostering innovation, and advocating for inclusive value chains. The support included the development of a constitution, a strategy, action plans, and a gender plan.

Additionally, the programme strengthened the regional umbrella network, the “African Women Fish Processors and Traders Network” (AWFISHNET), by supporting the development of action plans, budgets, and a resource mobilisation strategy for their East African Chapter. It also assisted the organisation of the AWAFISHNET ­Symposium 2019 in Kampala, Uganda, where women from across the African continent were able to network, share knowledge and experiences on value addition, and influence decision-making processes through exhibitions and presentations.

These national and regional platforms allow women to share best practices, experiences, and technologies in a collaborative way that drives innovations. They promote dialogue and negotiation, increasing the participation of women in policy dialogues at both the national and regional levels.

Capacity building measures through trainings or awareness campaigns can help to overcome sociocultural barriers, but structural boundaries, unequal rights and policy could remain. To limit these boundaries for gender equality, the involvement of all genders in management organisations is important. In Cambodia, the “Sustainable Aquaculture and Community Fish Refuge Management Project” (SAFR) promoted women’s participation in leadership and management of the Community Fish Refuge (CFR) ­committees – a form of dam or other water resource management organisation which members are elected by the community. CFR management are vital fish conservation measures that intend to improve the productivity of rice field fisheries and reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The approach introduces community-based management committees and assists them in developing plans such as detailing how and when the fish is utilized and by whom. This initiative significantly contributes to rural livelihoods by enhancing food security, nutrition, and income generation by restoring rice field fisheries systems that are ­accessible to everyone.

To ensure women’s equal participation in the decision-making process, the programme supported the ­electoral process for CFR leadership within the communities where rice field fisheries exist. Capacity-building training was conducted with the members focusing on organisational development, transparent decision-making, gender roles and improved management. Through this, a social-­ecological environment was created, in which members could actively and jointly manage their resources. The support also involved documenting and encouraging women to take on active roles in the management of the committees, such as vice chief and accountant positions. It also took into consideration how to reduce participation boundaries for women, for example by situating CFR closer to the village to increase safety while fishing.

“As a woman, I know that not only me, but other women in the community also feel proud to work for the community assuming that the society accepts and supports us in decision-making positions. After several elderly people from the community approached my husband and suggested he encourage me to become a candidate, I decided to play a more active role in community development and stand as a candidate for a position on our CFR Management Committee.” 
Ms. Sokh Samart, a woman CFR Management Committee member from Boeng Khangek Ngout.

In Madagascar, PADM followed a similar approach to promote leadership of women in farmer’s groups and increase their representation in decision-making bodies. As for the CFR their programme included training in the promotion of women’s memberships, development of a strategy to encourage women to express their opinion in decision-making groups and management organisations and in the valorisation of women’s work and contribution to fish farms. They also included a special training for men to mentor and accompany women to become leaders themselves, highlighting the necessity to include the whole community in gender transformative approaches. 

“I must admit that I did not know much about the importance of having women join the (CFR Management) Committee. After I received training on gender roles and I better understood them, I realized that women are as important as men in doing community work. So, my male colleagues and I work together and support the female CFR Management Committee members to perform their jobs.” 
Mr. Ly Peng Chhoun, CFR Chief – Boeng Khangek Ngout.

To enable women to assert themselves and assume full responsibility at all levels in the long term, PADM assisted in the creation of a support framework, including regularly using different tools and maintaining contact with the trainers.

Instead of being restricted to housework according to traditional gender roles, through agency and capacity building together with a demand-oriented, refined management, women were empowered to actively contribute to the development of their communities.

To publicly raise awareness on gender equality and structural boundaries, different approaches were taken by the projects.

In the “Project for Aquaculture in Madagascar” (“Projet d’Aquaculture Durable à Madagascar”, PADM), part of the training from the cooperative “Tilapia de l’Est” (TDE) for female small-scale aquaculture producers was the topic how to involve more women in the cooperative. To fight against the stereotype, that the profession of aquaculture is a “man’s job” and to improve the representation of women in the sector they documented women’s success stories to encourage other women to venture into fish farming. The stories were on the one hand spread through videos to ­integrate them in the training and capacity-­building activities. To raise awareness on the role of women, they on the other hand produced ten “success stories” of female fish farmers based on a survey and broadcasted them in three regional and one national radio station each morning and evening for two months. 

In Zambia, F4F followed another approach with the video and comic series “Let Me Tell You”. In those, women are represented as female fish farmers and actors in the fish value chain, working together with men in their communities and families with equal knowledge and contribution, therefore depicting gender equality as a norm. For example, Chimwemwe, the grandmother figure in the series, often explains important knowledge and is praised by the others, regardless of their gender, as wise and skilful.