Participatory assessment of management measures for octopus vulgaris pot and trap fishery from southern Portugal

- Participatory meetings joined 60 people from 26 fisher associations and institutes.
- Management actions impacting several stages of the Octopus life cycle were discussed.
- Most proposed management actions focus on one goal: regulation of the fishing effort.
- As a result a closed season was proposed to the management authorities.
- The impact of dialogue among stakeholders, including researchers, was recognized.

Co-management has shown promising results for the sustainable use of fishery resources. The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) pot and trap fishery in the Algarve (Portugal) holds the potential for implementation of a co-management system. To explore this potential, seven participatory workshops took place between 2014-2015, bringing together 60 participants from 10 fishing associations and 16 fisheries management and research institutions. The exercise resulted in promising outcomes with regards to the possible implementation of a co-management system for the fishery. In the present work an overview of the outcomes of the participatory workshops is given and compared with initiatives worldwide. Among the management actions identified, some have direct impacts on the octopus' life cycle, while all target the same overall objective: to regulate fishing effort. In the informal setting of the workshops, a formal request was developed: the establishment of an annual closed season in the Algarve. This request was taken into consideration by the responsible management institution.