Goals, challenges, and next steps in transdisciplinary fisheries research: perspectives and experiences from early-career researchers.

Fisheries are highly complex social-ecological systems that often face 'wicked' problems from unsustainable resource management to climate change. Addressing these challenges requires transdisciplinary approaches that integrate perspectives across scientific disciplines and knowledge systems. Despite widespread calls for transdisciplinary fisheries research (TFR), there are still limitations in personal and institutional capacity to conduct and support this work to the highest potential. The viewpoints of early career researchers (ECRs) in this field can illuminate challenges and promote systemic change within fisheries research. This paper presents the perspectives of ECRs from across the globe, gathered through a virtual workshop held during the 2021 World Fisheries Congress, on goals, challenges, and future potential for TFR. Big picture goals for TFR were guided by principles of co-production and included (i) integrating transdisciplinary thinking at all stages of the research process, (ii) ensuring that research is inclusive and equitable, (iii) co-creating knowledge that is credible, relevant, actionable, and impactful, and (iv) consistently communicating with partners. Institutional inertia, lack of recognition of the extra time and labour required for TFR, and lack of skill development opportunities were identified as three key barriers in conducting TFR. Several critical actions were identified to help ECRs, established researchers, and institutions reach these goals. We encourage ECRs to form peer-mentorship networks to guide each other along the way. We suggest that established researchers ensure consistent mentorship while also giving space to ECR voices. Actions for institutions include retooling education programs, developing and implementing new metrics of impact, and critically examining individualism and privilege in academia. We suggest that the opportunities and actions identified here, if widely embraced now, can enable research that addresses complex challenges facing fishery systems contributing to a healthier future for fish and humans alike.

Correction: Shifting focus: The impacts of sustainable seafood certification.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233237.].

Shifting focus: The impacts of sustainable seafood certification.

Alongside government driven management initiatives to achieve sustainable fisheries management, there remains a role for market-based mechanisms to improve fisheries outcomes. Market-based mechanisms are intended to create positive economic incentives that improve the status and management of fisheries. Research to understand consumer demand for certified fish is central but needs to be mirrored by supply side understanding including why fisheries decide to gain or retain certification and the impact of certification on them and other stakeholders involved. We apply semi-structured interviews in seven different Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fisheries that operate in (or from) Western Australia with the aim of better understanding fisheries sector participation in certification schemes (the supply side) and the impacts and unintended benefits and costs of certification. We find that any positive economic impacts of certification were only realised in a limited number of MSC fisheries in Western Australia, which may be explained by the fact that only a small proportion of Western Australian state-managed fisheries are sold with the MSC label and ex-vessel or consumer market price premiums are therefore mostly not obtained. Positive impacts of certification in these Western Australian fisheries are more of a social and institutional nature, for example, greater social acceptability and increased efficiency in the governance process respectively. However, opinion is divided on whether the combined non-monetary and monetary benefits outweigh the costs.

A two-phase approach to elicit and measure beliefs on management strategies: Fishers supportive and aware of trade-offs associated with stock enhancement.

Understanding fisher beliefs and attitudes towards specific management strategies can help inform and improve fisheries management, and thus stock sustainability. Previous studies highlight a lack of fisher awareness regarding environmental issues influencing the systems they utilise and the negative impacts of specific strategies, such as stock enhancement. Our study used a two-phase approach to first elicit and then measure the strength of common fishers' beliefs and associated attitudes regarding stock enhancement. Specifically, this research focused on recreational fishers of an estuarine crab fishery (Portunus armatus) in south-western Australia. The results demonstrate that recreational fishers believe stock enhancement could have strong positive outcomes, but also recognise that this management strategy could lead to some negative outcomes, though the latter are perceived as less likely to happen. This contrasts with previous research on fisheries stocking and demonstrates the value of using the two-phase approach to clarify fishers' perceptions of particular management approaches. To reduce fisher dissatisfaction with management actions, careful communication on the benefits and costs of stock enhancement is recommended. Our study highlights the significance of integrating social sciences into fisheries research, and the need to better understand fishing community beliefs to ensure effective management of the fishery.