Our new research, “Local knowledge enhances the sustainability of interconnected fisheries”, is now available on Journal of Applied Ecology!

In this study, we evaluate how local knowledge contributes to effective fisheries co-management in a spatially connected river system. Using a process-based metapopulation model informed by empirical data, we assess alternative management strategies for pirarucu fisheries across protected and unprotected lakes in the Brazilian Amazon. We find that protected lakes play a critical role in sustaining populations and buffering fishing pressure, and that the current local-knowledge–based strategy performs nearly as well as the optimal, model-derived approach. Our results demonstrate the value of integrating local knowledge, ecology, and network theory to guide sustainable resource management across complex socio-ecological systems.

Read the full paper here: Journal of Applied Ecology