TY - JOUR
T1 - The impacts of digital transformation on fisheries policy and sustainability: Lessons from Timor-Leste
AU - Tilley, Alexander
AU - Dam Lam, Rodolfo
AU - Lozano Lazo, Denise
AU - Dos Reis Lopes, Joctan
AU - Freitas Da Costa, Dede
AU - De Fátima Belo, Maria
AU - Da Silva, Joaquina
AU - Da Cruz, Gilberto
AU - Rossignoli, Cristiano
N1 - Data Availability Statement: Data will be made available on request.
Funding Information: This work was undertaken as part of the One CGIAR Initiative “ Resilient Aquatic Food Systems ” supported by contributors to the CGIAR Trust Fund . The donor was not involved in study design, execution, or report preparation. All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.
PY - 2024/3
Y1 - 2024/3
N2 - Digital technologies are transforming how we monitor and manage natural resources, by speeding up data-driven decision-making. Still, to date, there is scant evidence of their impacts on environmental sustainability. In fisheries, a digital record of landings represents enormous potential for sustainable food production, resource management, and livelihoods, by making information about fish production and price available to all. To fill a gap in information and understanding about fisheries in Timor-Leste at the time, and to inform decision-making to renew outdated fisheries legislations and strategies, the ‘Peskas’ system was developed and piloted in Timor-Leste in 2017. Peskas was designed to collect, analyse and display small-scale fisheries data in near real-time to improve fisheries management through real-time data-driven policymaking. Using targeted interviews in key stakeholder groups, we assessed the progress made toward this goal through three different pathways over a six-year period: i) capacity building; ii) partnership and collaboration; and iii) sustainable resource management. Results showed that the formal Government adoption of Peskas was a tipping point that catalysed greater intragovernmental collaboration, as well as between government and communities, and brought new investment into the fisheries sector. However, Peskas has had minimal impact on the development of new regulations to date. We discuss reasons for this, such as an inadequate fisheries legal framework and wider capacity gaps and draw broader recommendations for how to leverage digital transformation for positive change in fisheries sustainability.
AB - Digital technologies are transforming how we monitor and manage natural resources, by speeding up data-driven decision-making. Still, to date, there is scant evidence of their impacts on environmental sustainability. In fisheries, a digital record of landings represents enormous potential for sustainable food production, resource management, and livelihoods, by making information about fish production and price available to all. To fill a gap in information and understanding about fisheries in Timor-Leste at the time, and to inform decision-making to renew outdated fisheries legislations and strategies, the ‘Peskas’ system was developed and piloted in Timor-Leste in 2017. Peskas was designed to collect, analyse and display small-scale fisheries data in near real-time to improve fisheries management through real-time data-driven policymaking. Using targeted interviews in key stakeholder groups, we assessed the progress made toward this goal through three different pathways over a six-year period: i) capacity building; ii) partnership and collaboration; and iii) sustainable resource management. Results showed that the formal Government adoption of Peskas was a tipping point that catalysed greater intragovernmental collaboration, as well as between government and communities, and brought new investment into the fisheries sector. However, Peskas has had minimal impact on the development of new regulations to date. We discuss reasons for this, such as an inadequate fisheries legal framework and wider capacity gaps and draw broader recommendations for how to leverage digital transformation for positive change in fisheries sustainability.
KW - Fisheries management
KW - Fisheries monitoring
KW - Fishing communities
KW - Food production
KW - Livelihoods
KW - Peskas
KW - Real-time
KW - Resource management
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85184031624&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103684
DO - 10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103684
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85184031624
SN - 1462-9011
VL - 153
JO - Environmental Science and Policy
JF - Environmental Science and Policy
M1 - 103684
ER -