Abstract

In the past decade Fish Aggregating Device ( FAD) fishing have grown from 5% in 2000 to 74% in 2010 of the total fish production on Dominica. Over time the governance of FAD fishing took on an ad hoc uncoordinated and unregulated approach which warranted immediate attention to address the growing incidence of conflict. The growing conflicts surrounding the use of FADs lead to intervention by fisher’s organizations and government to find solution to these problems. Twelve national consultations were held island wide between 2009 and 2010 to solicit feedback from fishers on the problem and to receive recommendations for possible solution. Prior to these consultations, two national workshops on “FADs; Impact, Evaluation, Solution and Policy” were conducted by the Dominica Fisheries Division in 2003 and 2007. The workshop and consultations also sort solution and general agreement which lead to a co-management strategy with the National Association of Fisher folk Cooperatives. As a result FAD management regulations were drafted by a legal consultant who attended all the national consultations held with fishers. Some of these management instruments are currently being tested under the Dominica FAD Pilot Project which is a component of a Regional Fisheries Master plan Project for CARICOM funded by JICA.