Participants in the Training Managers for 21st Century International Workshop, held December 2001 in Queenstown, NZ, generated a wide range of ideas for improving the education of fishery managers and  identified eight top consensus strategies, listed below.  The steering committee is tasked with prioritizing and facilitating action on these strategies.  (Strategies are also available as an easily distributable .pdf one page handout.)

1.  Develop creative partnerships within and among academia, government, NGOs, industry – Examples include peer exchanges for managers and agency personnel; teaching fellowships to support government or industry involvement in academia; dual degrees between MBA/Public Administration and resource management programs; and internet based specialized training opportunities which link management and academic organizations internationally.

2. Use the management process as a learning experience - Conduct ongoing evaluation of management outcomes and feed results back into the management and learning process by providing universities with access to management process and the primary data; allow stakeholders (including agencies) to participate in developing the learning experience.

3. Broaden and lengthen the fishery management career path – Recruit from a broader range of disciplines and provide long-run management career paths including supportive working environments and educational opportunities.  

4. Conduct GAP analysis – Evaluate existing and potential programs for educating all “classes” of fishery managers by surveying employers to identify recruitment patterns and satisfaction with employees, surveying employees about their perceived training needs and incentives for recruitment and retention, and surveying training providers to more formally assess training capacity. Results will aid recognition and development of a minimum level of skills and knowledge for managers at all levels and classes of management.   

5. Complete the development of an international fishery management education and training website – Develop a comprehensive, multilingual, searchable database or clearinghouse with links to all educational programs and opportunities, including notices of internships, secondments and fellowships, suitable for all levels, sectors, and types of fisheries managers.   

6. Encourage industry scholarships for fishery managers – This would allow Industry to ensure that students have a basic familiarity with industry; NZ industry would be willing and US industry may be willing but would need someone/group to lead effort.   

7. Develop a library of fishery management case studies – Determine existing cases used in courses and published; establish a process, standards, and templates; include written, video, and simulation software as materials; include a learning and evaluation component; and coordinate development through IIFET special sessions, case study development workshops, or special sections or issues of fisheries management journals.  
   <go to case initiative page>

8. Organize a network of training providers and users – Identify an individual or organization to coordinate the network and provide accountability; consider tasking the network with coordinating an international needs assessment by sector; and use the internet and website as coordinating tools.

PLEASE HELP: We are looking for resources specific to each of the strategies. If you would like to submit publications (online or otherwise available) or websites that may help with a specific strategy please send an email to Laurie Jodice at jodicel@yahoo.com