Lessons learned towards the shared responsibility of safeguarding Great Lakes fisheries.

Across the Great Lakes basin, Indigenous and non-Indigenous agencies strive to protect and sustain healthy fish and water systems. However, the cumulative impacts of climate change and other human disturbances combined with historical and ongoing instances of environmental injustices towards Indigenous Peoples call for a shift away from current management paradigms towards structures that center meaningful collaboration and Indigenous leadership. Here, we present early outcomes from interviews with Indigenous and non-Indigenous fishery professionals who work with and for Indigenous agencies on the Laurentian Great Lakes. We assess experiences and perspectives from within these agencies to better understand what is needed to build meaningful co-management relationships among Indigenous and non-Indigenous agencies committed to safeguarding Great Lakes fisheries. We hope this research can help ready current and future fishery professionals to engage in just and effective approaches to fisheries decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]