Our oceans are changing. Our fisheries are changing. Our coastal communities are changing. Traditional frameworks for the protection of natural resources are not effective in the face of global shocks and large-scale changes, creating new social and environmental challenges.

Fishing communities are particularly vulnerable to these impacts. However, fishers go to fish every day. They make daily decisions to adapt, using their experience and the information that is available. Some of their choices move them towards resource sustainability and social benefits, others do not. Fishers are flexible and decisive; they can switch from one fishery to another, create new fishing techniques, and find new markets quickly.

Coastal communities have five elements (assets, flexibility, social organizations, learning and agency) that, when combined, build adaptive capacity to change. In contrast, design and implementation of public policies for adaptation (e.g. climate and environmental change) take years, in some cases, decades. Given the economic and political context, and the bureaucratic processes involved at the national and international levels, followed by long periods of transfer and adoption by coastal communities, there is a considerable disconnect between policy making and day-to-day fishing practices in a changing climate.

This platform shares demonstrative and adaptive models that have been field tested and created impact, with the goal of creating sustainable and resilient marine ecosystems and fisheries.