I-FIN is a global network of fisheries experts whose focus is to develop scientific information that supports improvements in fishery management globally.
The network does this by collecting and synthesizing existing data, investigating causal relationships between fishery management actions and fisheries performance, and developing insights to inform fishery interventions in a variety of socio-cultural-ecological environments. We investigate both large and small-scale fisheries, but place a particular emphasis on the latter due to the dearth of scientific information on these fisheries and the critical importance they play to livelihoods in coastal communities in developing nations. These four key elements are summarized into four separate pillars summarized below.
Pillar 1: Network
A global network of scientists to collect data and conduct analyses
Pillar 2: Database
Big data that are publicly accessible to assist efforts to evaluate performance of interventions and inform other analyses
Pillar 3: Evaluation
Evaluation of historical performance, including relations to local ecosystem, social circumstances, and management tools
Pillar 4: Design
Design of fishery management interventions under uncertainty which will inform the design of institutions to improve fisheries performance over time