Disseminate lessons learned and establish regional learning networks

3. Disseminate lessons learned and establish regional learning networks

Goal: Strengthen the commitment to sustainable fisheries management within national governments. Create learning networks that support champions for fisheries management and ensure that new champions are capacitated and encouraged. Rationale: Fisheries government officials engaged in and advocating for sustainable fisheries management can oftentimes feel isolated. These champions require professional support to flourish. Lessons derived in one context are oftentimes valuable and adaptable to other contexts. For instance, USAIDPhilippines has invested heavily in integrated coastal management and sustainable fisheries initiatives that provide a wealth of experience and lessons that could be shared with other nations within the region. Strategy: USAID regional offices should host a series of workshops for USAID and government personnel that review strategic fisheries management issues and plans at the regional and national levels. These workshops should also serve as educational events whereby fisheries experts could raise awareness about issues related to fisheries, ocean governance, and policy reform options drawing on both region-specific and international experience. Each series of workshops should result in specific actions to engage USAID Missions, other donors, academic and research institutions, government and NGO entities in improved management. USAIDEGAT could assist in the design and implementation of these workshops. 4. Provide leadership and advocacy Goal: Advocate for more resources and attention by donors and national governments to sustainable fisheries management as an economic development opportunity as well as a biodiversity conservation strategy. Rationale: USAID has demonstrated leadership capability in the past with respect to integrated coastal management efforts that have now mushroomed around the world—in good part due to USAID global, regional and country investments and outreach. USAID can do the same with respect to sustainable capture fisheries management, which could help earn substantial economic dividends and prevent widespread collapse of this sector. Strategy: USAID should communicate the growing awareness of the impacts of unsustainable fisheries on biodiversity, livelihoods, and food security as well as its link to economic losses. USAID should also disseminate important lessons learned from sustainable fisheries management efforts within and outside the USAID project portfolio. USAID should catalyze a commitment to global fisheries reform by engaging with other U.S. government agencies, donors, NGOs, and technical bodies. In particular USAIDEGAT should encourage other USAID and U.S. government programs, as well as the larger development community, to consider the importance of sustainable fisheries management, fisheries livelihoods, and ocean governance. As a first step, host a high- level and widely publicized speaker series in Washington D.C. on sustainable fisheries. 74

5. Coordinate with key donors and international institutions