OVERCOME BARRIERS & PROVIDE SOLUTIONS
Even when there are clear opportunities to connect data with purpose, it can be challenging to identify the best path forward. Sometimes the challenge lies in diagnosing the problem, and in other cases the challenge may involve crafting a solution to work through a known bottleneck or barrier. Identifying obstacles and developing solutions to facilitate an efficient, consistent flow of data often lies at the intersection of tech and policy and requires bringing together experts. While fisheries issues have some unique challenges, oftentimes similar data challenges have already been addressed in other sectors.
Using our role as a neutral facilitator, the Net Gains Alliance overcomes barriers and provides solutions by:
Helping with issue identification
Assisting with strategy and solution development
Connecting partners from government, business, local communities and the non-profit sector
Whenever possible, making our findings public and open, encouraging anyone to adopt and repurpose our work in service of more sustainable fisheries
Current Initiative
Linking information sources for advanced analyses
Fishermen, scientists, and managers need to be able to analyze the past and forecast future conditions. This becomes increasingly important as climate drives changing ocean conditions and fish distributions and the potential for ocean space to grow “busier” with energy development and aquaculture operations. To do these more advanced and fine-scale analyses, data need to be collected, coded, and stored differently, with unique identifiers that link information across multiple data sources to a single fishing event or trip. NGA is working with data managers to support data programs that support these next generation analyses and to advance best practices for data across regions and information partners.
