BECAA Learning Hub
Best Catch Assessment training and resources
Best Catch Assessment (BECAA) Learning Hub
A practical learning resource for turning fisher knowledge into quantitative information for data-poor fisheries.
BECAA was developed by Project Seagrass in collaboration with Florida International University, with funding and support from the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.
Start here
The Best Catch Assessment (BECAA) is a standardised method for collecting quantitative information from fishers, harvesters, guides, gleaners, divers, and other local knowledge holders. It asks people to recall their best fishing or harvesting experiences, record the number, the year, and the effort, and then uses these responses to reconstruct patterns of catch, encounter rates, size, and change through time.
This site turns the BECAA Handbook into a modular learning resource. It is designed for local communities, fishing organisations, Indigenous and local knowledge holders, NGOs, government partners, researchers, and practitioners working in data-poor fisheries.
What you can do here
- Learn what BECAA is and when to use it.
- Understand the core rule: number + year + effort.
- Choose the right metric for different fisheries.
- Design a BECAA survey for recreational, small-scale, gleaning, trap, net, fish fence, or invertebrate fisheries.
- Download the handbook and questionnaire templates.
- Learn how to store BECCA data for future analysis.
Start with BECAA at a glance, then work through the learning modules in order.
Suggested learning pathway
Handbook Citation
Jones, B.L.H. (2026). Best Catch Assessment (BECAA) Handbook: A practical guide for turning fisher knowledge into quantitative information for data-poor fisheries. Project Seagrass, UK.
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