Fishery improvement projects: Performance over the past decade

Fishery improvement projects (FIPs) are multi-stakeholder platforms for engaging retailers, importers, processors, and others in seafood supply chains directly in the policy-making and management of fisheries. FIPs vary in design and aim, making their evaluation complex. Studies to date have highlighted successes but also raised concerns about the performance of FIPs in improving fisheries. Drawing on a comprehensive dataset of attributes on all public FIPs, combined with sustainability performance data on the management of the target fisheries, their fishing levels, and stock status, this paper evaluates the performance of FIPs worldwide on improving fisheries, using exploratory data analysis methods and regression-based statistical approaches. The results showed that FIPs improved critical problems in target fisheries in the range between 60% and 82%, depending on the sustainability criteria considered. Performance did not vary between artisanal and industrial FIPs or according to the economic development status of the country. The probability of achieving improvements in management and overfishing domains is higher for fisheries with FIPs compared to those without. Variability in performance was related to the specific characteristics and history of each FIP, based on which further steps in research were suggested.