On behalf of The Nature Conservancy, we’ve built and launched a Coastal Fisheries Toolkit. This toolkit addresses common challenges in small scale fisheries management by functionalizing tried and true principles of fisheries management. The toolkit allows users to input information about their fishery context, in order to evaluate the tradeoffs in real time. Complex fisheries concepts are all distilled so that users can engage with material that was previously only accessible to fisheries scientists. The toolkit addresses:
- Species life histories
- Minimum size limits
- Bag limits
- Length-based stock assessment
- Facilitator resources
Launching the Toolkit
In addition to creating the toolkit, we also spearheaded the toolkit launch alongside The Nature Conservancy. This involved user testing, consulting on branding and strategy, and the creation of communication materials to accompany the toolkit. We produced promotional videos, created educational presentations (example below), designed infographics (example to the right), and built the Toolkit website.
These communication materials demonstrate the ways in which Nature Analytics can go above and beyond simply providing scientific support or analysis. We believe that thoughtful communication of science is essential to responsible engagements. We are also committed to the creation of more open source tools like these, to support managers, fishers and facilitators striving to create positive changes for communities and the oceans.
Authors
WJ Harford, PA Moore, E Ristig