Benefits of Certification for Small-scale Fisheries - SEAFOOD Ecolabelling: Principles and Practice - page 309

determined once an investment in the pre-assessment was made and expectations
of achieving a successful MSC certification were raised.
There were two main types of pitfalls that the early projects encountered. The
first we term the 'data dilemma' - either many small-scale fisheries do not use
western concepts of science to manage their resources or the management system
does not invest in science as heavily as do the larger industrial fisheries where the
potential environmental/resource impact is the greatest. The data dilemma creates
the situation where communities utilising traditional fishing methods, possibly used
for decades or hundreds of years, find it difficult to demonstrate basic catch trends
over time or provide stock status information. The second pitfall is termed the
'management dilemma' - many small-scale fisheries use traditional management
methods which might include taboos, religious beliefs, or other social or cultural
measures to control fishing effort resulting in what western science would term
'precautionary approaches'. In many cases these traditional systems are not formal
and perhaps not even written, transmitted by customary oral practices. Therefore,
making a case to prove sustainability using a western science approach could be
difficult for these fisheries.
The CFP also recognised that it was possible that neighbouring communities or
fisheries outside of our existing contacts could provide better candidates for certi-
fication. As we continued to gain experience through working with communities
with fishing issues, we began to form a picture of what small-scale fishery charac-
teristics were essential for success in the certification process. This, combined with
limited investment of financial resources, led the CFP to work with our partners to
develop a scoping methodology termed the 'pre-analysis model'.
This model can be used to provide guidance about which fisheries might be
good candidates for certification in regions where there is limited knowledge of
the fishery resources. The two-phase methodology was designed to be flexible
enough to be used in any size region anywhere in the world (Lopuch et al . 2005)
(Figure 15.1).
The first phase is a step-by-step planning process for the project and for stake-
holder involvement. This phase is essential to the ultimate success because it helps
the user realistically select a scope for the project that fits their resources, and helps
to ensure that the project will be robust and the result useful. Stakeholder involve-
ment is one of the main ways to gather information in this methodology. Without
thorough and diverse stakeholder involvement the user runs the risk of incomplete
or biased information, which will taint the outcome of the project.
The second phase uses multi-criterion analysis, an analysis that utilises both
quantitative and qualitative information to provide a picture of which fisheries
might be good candidates for MSC certification. This picture forms the basis for
discussion on how limited resources could then be invested. In addition to using
the model to identify potential candidates for certification, the methodology also
provides a database of information to address related conservation issues and/or
inform strategic planning.