This summer I will be working in Robertsport, Liberia on a Center for the Blue Economy Fellowship.  I will be serving two roles in this work; first, I will be conducting research on the species, size and number of different fish species being caught. I will also be assisting the newly formed collaborative fishery management association (CMA) in Robertsport with organizing a net exchange and other management efforts.

Currently, little is known about what types of fish are being caught in the West African waters and of their relative abundance.  The research I am doing will help create a baseline for future monitoring and allow for more well informed management in the future.

CMAs are a hybrid approach to fishery management that gives local communities and resource users a voice and responsibilities in the management of their resources while still recognizing the role of government in creating and enforcing fishing policies.  The CMA in Robertsport is a pilot project that will serve as an example for a future network CMAs along the Liberian coast.

While in Robertsport I will most likely not have internet, so this will likely be my only post for the next six weeks, but I will save up news to report upon my return to the US.