Managing the managers: improving the structure and operation of small fisheries departments, especially in SIDS

Many countries, especially Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other developing countries have small fisheries departments (SFDs). These are responsible for a substantial proportion of the worldʹs fisheries. They are often modelled after large fisheries departments in developed countries with large fisheries. A small fisheries department cannot be a small version of a large one, it must be differently structured with relatively less emphasis on technical skills and more on people-related skills and planning: e.g., facilitation, mediation and project management. There is also the need for SFDs to pursue management planning, comanagement and simplified, consensual approaches to fishery management. These require skills and an emphasis on processes that are often lacking. There are several factors that contribute to the resistance to change in this direction. Among these is the lack of the literature on fisheries planning process and especially on planning and running a small fisheries department. This is a key area requiring attention if these primary custodians of the worldʹs fisheries are to play their part effectively.