Cooperation among competing fishermen can boost fish stocks on coral reefs and other terrestrial ecosystems, suggest researchers.
According to a study published in the Journal of Nature Communications, even though fishermen are considered business rivals, their communication can lead to improvements in both the quality and quantity of fish in their local reefs.
In the end, this cooperation could translate into further economic gain and more sustainable business, explains Orou Gaoue, co-author of the study.
Researchers interviewed 648 fishers and gathered data on reef conditions across five coral reef fishing communities in Kenya.
They found that in places where fishers communicated with their competitors about the fishing gear they use, locations for hunting, and fishing rules, there were more fish in the sea and of higher quality.
"Relationships between people have important consequences for the long-term availability of the natural resources we depend on," said senior researcher, Barnes.
"Although this study is on coral reefs, the results are also relevant for terrestrial ecosystems where, in the absence of cooperation, competition for non-timber forest products can quickly lead to depletion even when locals have detailed ecological knowledge of their environment," said Gaoue.