Fisheries are complex systems that sit at the intersection of the social, environmental and economic dynamics. To focus improvements on only one of these domains in isolation limits the effectiveness of any intervention strategy that seeks long-term sustainability, whereby stocks are well-managed, fishers have a dependable livelihood, and incentives are aligned to promote transparency and collaboration.
The Fishery Development Model (FDM) offers a framework to evaluate fisheries systems holistically, as well as a process through which organizations can deeply understand the system, surface opportunities, create and test a strategy, then scale successful interventions. Organizations working on social, environmental or economic development with fisheries stakeholders can use the FDM to consider the broad universe of impacts on their work. This can help to uncover risks and barriers that may prevent success, or opportunities which could further bolster buy-in and long-term adoption of their work.
