Institutional criteria for co-management

Much attention has focused around co-management as a process to effective fisheries management. While it is generally accepted that co-management is an effective means of minimizing conflict in fisheries management and recirculating the benefits of effective management back into the local communities, its development has been slowed by institutional constraints. Institutions are important prerequisites to effective co-management, and form the entity from which decisions are made and collective action is taken. This paper suggests how institutions can both facilitate and constrain fisheries co-management. What is presented here is the normative criteria from which to evaluate and improve the institutional development of cooperative fisheries management arrangements.