Application of emerging technologies in the field of mCDR may interact with fishery ecosystems, resources, and activities in complex ways. It is imperative to begin engaging commercial fisheries stakeholders as soon as possible in developing an accurate understanding of the technical, ecological, and governance aspects of diverse mCDR approaches. It is equally important to produce guidance for the regulatory and scientific community on fishery-sensitive mCDR governance, effective stakeholder outreach and communication, and co-production of knowledge in a mCDR context.

This project will leverage existing networks of fishermen in the Northeast, Alaska, and West Coast in order to build up expertise on mCDR approaches within the fishing community, through formation of a fishermen’s mCDR learning committee and production of informational sheets, webinars, and articles in industry trade publications.

Project partners will work with the fishermen’s mCDR learning committee and experts from within NOAA and three coastal ocean acidification networks to produce three short documents that offer preliminary guidance on: (1) elements of fishery-sensitive mCDR governance, including best practices for siting of CDR projects, recommended criteria for project evaluation and permit approval of pilot and full-scale projects, and recommended frameworks for avoiding negative impacts from CDR projects to fisheries; (2) elements of a strategy to engage commercial fishermen as co-producers of information in the context of mCDR baseline assessment, MRV, and ecological impacts assessment; and (3) elements of effective engagement of the fishing community by mCDR developers and permitting agencies, including advice to developers on how to communicate with fishery stakeholders early, often, and in culturally appropriate ways.

Support for this project is provided by the U.S. Navy and the Climate Works Foundation, through a competition facilitated by the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program and the National Oceanographic Partnership Program.