Fisheries Communication Training for Sustainable Practices

A fishing vessel tied up alongside a quayside. Photo by ClickerHappy

Introduction

CIBBRiNA is a European research initiative focussed on reducing bycatch of endangered, threatened, and protected species such as turtles, sharks and seabirds. To achieve this, scientists must work closely with fishers—building trust, sharing knowledge, and encouraging sustainable fishing practices.

CIBBRiNA brings together researchers, policymakers, and fishing communities across the North Atlantic, Baltic, and Mediterranean. The success of the project depends on building trust with fishers, helping researchers to gather vital data on bycatch while also encouraging the adoption of sustainable fishing practices.

To support this mission, Incredible Oceans, in partnership with Prosea (Netherlands) and Siren Calling (UK), designed a bespoke fisheries communication training programme. Delivered online to CIBBRiNA members, this training helped scientists develop the skills needed to engage fishing communities and promote bycatch reduction strategies across Europe.

Watch Our Communication Essentials video

Why Communication Matters...

Fisheries researchers rely on working alongside fishers onboard fishing vessels to gather data. This requires building trust and a rapport with the fishers, not only to gain access to their space but to also learn from their experience and insights. As well as data-gathering, there is also need to persuade crews to trial or adopt new gear and techniques that reduce bycatch.

Clear, empathetic communication is essential; fisheries scientists must explain their intentions and research without jargon, listen actively, and show respect for the knowledge and experience fishers bring to the table. Effective communication builds trust and relationships, reduces conflict, and increases the quality of the data and the likelihood that sustainable fishing practices will be embraced.

This fisheries communication training gave researchers practical tools to build trust, reduce conflict, and explain their research in ways that resonate.

The Challenge

As a European consortium, CIBBRiNA researchers work at institutions across the European Union. While they brought extensive scientific expertise, many had limited (or bad!) experiences in direct engagement with fishers.

Challenges include:

Jargon and complexity: scientific language can alienate non-specialists.
Conflict and distrust: fishers often view scientists as regulators rather than collaborators.
Gender dynamics: female researchers can face difficulties when working in the predominantly male fishing communities of European countries.

Our training needed to equip researchers with strategies for clear communication, empathy, conflict resolution and building stronger relationships.

Why CIBBRiNA Chose Incredible Oceans & partners?

Incredible Oceans brought experience in science communication and public engagement in and around ocean science and conservation. ProSea NL contributed fisheries-specific training expertise, while Siren Calling added creative approaches to storytelling and social science.

Together, the team delivered a unique fisheries communication training programme tailored to the realities of working with fishers in diverse cultural contexts.

Two fishermen deploying a net from the side of a small boat. Photo by Lorenzo Manera.

How CIBBRiNA Responded

The consortium developed a three part online workshop series with each session focussing on a different aspect of communication:

• Social science & psychology: understanding human behaviour & motivation.
• Jargon busting & storytelling: making science accessible & memorable.
• Conflict resolution & negotiation: strategies for handling disagreement & building consensus.

A standout moment was the role-playing exercise, where participants took turns trying to win over a 'sceptical fisherman' giving researchers a safe space to practice persuasion, empathy, and resilience.

Weekly homework tasks included writing scripts, filming short videos, and reflecting on past experiences. These were reviewed in group sessions, creating a cycle of learning and improvement.

Smiling fishermen on a fishing vessel at sunset, Photo by

How It Was A Success

Within any form of science communication, evaluation is crucial in informing the efficacy of the intervention but also guiding improvements and the audiences / clients needs.

As leaders in marine science communication, Incredible Oceans undertakes evaluations after each training course. We’re proud that over 87% of participants reported an increase in confidence when communicating with fishers.

A word cloud of feedback. The main words are: really, fishers, feedback, communication and different

Instead of cherry-picking choice quotations that make us sound amazing, here we present the full written feedback (both positive and critical) from participants as a wordcloud of the top 40 words. It provides a snapshot of not only what the course entails but also how the training participants responded to the training.

Reviews

When asked ‘what did we do especially well?'...

The workshop was incredibly engaging, dynamic, and interactive!

Sara Cerqueira - Shark Fisheries Researcher

Direção de Serviços de Monitorização, Estudos e Investigação do Mar, Direção Regional de Pescas (DSEIMar/DRP), Portugal

The feedback & helping the participants interact with each other. Listening to others who have more experience with working with fishers than me, sharing personal anecdotes that we can relate to.

Marie Petitguyot - Marine Ecologist

Spanish National Research Council (IIM-CSIC)

The way you simplified the course content.

Ana Aresta - Communications Lead

World Wildlife Fund for Nature, Portugal

It gave me a different perspective and taught me to really listen to the words the person is saying and how I should focus more on that and adapt my speech going forward.

Filipa Duarte - Conservation Biologist

University of Aveiro, Portugal

The role play exercise really demonstrated how it would work in real life. And good to tweak your elevator pitch each week, so you can apply it to different conferences or meetings.

Lina de Nijs - Fisheries Researcher

Pelagic Freezer Trawler Association

The dynamic between the different trainers; the content; and, the building up between sessions.

Ana Henriques - Ocean Officer

World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)

Connect the ideas with the writing activities and the video recording.

Xoán Lueiro - Marine Litter & Fishing Specialist

Centro Tecnológico del Mar (CETMAR), Spain

The section on psychology, the role play activity, the upbeat delivery, the paired presenters.

Sven Sebastian Uhlmann - Fisheries Research

Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Belgium

Overall Results

The CIBBRiNA project continues to champion bycatch reduction strategies and promote sustainable fishing practices across Europe. Thanks to this communications training, the consortium are now better equipped to build trust with fishers, gather more reliable data, and increase the likelihood that those fishers will adopt bycatch reduction strategies.

Case Study: Training fisheries researchers to speak with fishing communities