Abstract

As part of the Darwin Plus funded Climate change adaptation in the fisheries of Anguilla and Montserrat project, an assessment of the vulnerability of the fisheries of Montserrat to climate change and natural disasters was conducted. The vulnerability assessment was based on a comprehensive desk review and participatory three-dimensional model-ling (P3DM). P3DM served as a participatory mapping tool to capture local knowledge and experiences related to climate change impacts and vulnerabilities and identify potential adaptation actions for the fisheries sector. It involved building physical representations of the entire island of Montserrat that were to scale and geo-referenced, focusing on areas critical to the fisheries sector (e.g. fishing communities, landing sites, fishing grounds and supporting ecosystems such as coral reefs and mangroves). A wide range of stakeholders were actively engaged in the P3DM, including key resources users like fisherfolk, community residents, civil society organisations, government agencies and the private sector, to assess key vulnerabilities and priorities for action in the areas where they live and work. P3DM also supported the Ecosystem Ap-proach to Fisheries, taking into account biophysical, cultural and socioeconomic dimensions of vulnerability within ecolog-ically meaningful boundaries. The findings highlight the usefulness of P3DM in not only documenting local knowledge, but enabling stakeholders to visualise and collectively discuss different uses, threats, opportunities and management options for fisheries resources. This knowledge can facilitate shared learning and decision-making among government, civil society and private sector stakeholders involved in fisheries management planning and implementation.

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