The in-person workshop, which occurred May 22-25, 2023 in Carolina, Puerto Rico, identified five-year breakthrough goals and annual objectives. Projects identified and prioritized in this workshop emphasized collaborative efforts of data collection that align with regional needs and education and outreach priorities for the local fishing communities. These projects, referred to as regional projects, are being addressed in working groups.
Five-Year Breakthrough Goals
- Expand the toolbox to inform fisheries management
- Reduce gaps in datasets used to inform management
- Improve communication of knowledge to better engage stakeholders in fisheries management process
- Establish funding governance structures that are equitable for fishers, contractors, agencies, and islands and allow for the collection of necessary data gaps to inform fisheries management
Regional Projects
Deliverables are linked below
1. Determine appropriate alternative methods/approaches to inform management given available data (Toolbox)
Purpose - to support the management bodies in the region by determining appropriate alternative methods and approaches to inform management with the available data, given that standard single-spp stock assessment approaches severely limit our ability to give advice for the very large number of managed species
Deliverables
Project in progress. Check back for deliverables
2a. Establish a prioritized list of Fishery Dependent data needs:
Purpose - to discover and inventory all known commercial and recreational fishery dependent data collections, including historical and ongoing, in the U.S. Caribbean as well as elsewhere in the Caribbean region for certain species and use the inventory to identify gaps for prioritization in terms of expansion or implementation of data collections critical to stock assessment improvement
Deliverables
FD Data Inventory (request view access to download)
2b. Establish a prioritized list of Fishery Independent data needs
Purpose - to describe the present data inventory for three survey targets: (1) reef fishes (0 - 450 m), (2) spiny lobster, and (3) queen conch, that includes associated temporal and spatial FI survey coverage gaps for fisheries management
Deliverables
Project in progress. Check back for deliverables
2c. Establish a prioritized list of Life History data needs
Purpose - to identify and inventory all known life history data collections, including historical and ongoing, in Puerto Rico and the USVI and use the inventory to identify gaps for prioritization in terms of implementation of data collections critical to stock assessment improvement
Deliverables
Project in progress. Check back for deliverables
2d. Establish a prioritized list of Habitat and Environmental data needs
Purpose - to identify the groups that are collecting data (available) and then the data that is needed for stock assessment, identify and inventory all known available habitat and environmental data sources in the US Caribbean, and use the inventory to identify gaps for prioritization of data collections critical to stock assessment improvement
Deliverables
Project in progress. Check back for deliverables
2e. Establish a prioritized list of Socioeconomic data needs
Purpose - to identify major socio-economic data gaps and information to improve fisheries management decisions in the U.S. Caribbean
Deliverables
3. Develop a science and funding plan to address data needs
Project has not yet started. Check back for updates.
4. Develop a data management plan
Project has not yet started. Check back for updates.
5. Identify current communicators and mechanisms/methods within agencies and between external stakeholders and managers (Communications)
Purpose - to discover and inventory all known communication mechanisms and purposes between the commercial and recreational fishing communities and managers and organizations engaged in fisheries management in the US Caribbean
Deliverables
6. Identify best or preferred methods for communication efforts by assessing current roles and methods used
Project has not yet started. Check back for updates.
7. Foster face-to-face engagement for stakeholders and students including capacity building and sustained development
Project has not yet started. Check back for updates.
8. Define the needs and mechanisms to streamline the process for establishing a funding governance structure (Funding Governance)
Purpose - to define needs and mechanisms for establishing a funding governance structure with the end goal of an informative, transparent funding framework to facilitate coordination of activities
Deliverables
Project in progress. Check back for deliverables
9. Summarize recommendations for improving current funding structures and developing more appropriate structures, as needed, given the unique challenges of the U.S. Caribbean and share with entities that can act on making these improvements
Project has not yet started. Check back for updates.
10. Perform a network analysis to assess impact and growth in the region
Project has not yet started. Check back for updates.