Ity and individual pride in maintaining fisheries as a livelihood. Based on the pilot program success, the Belizean government A-836339 side effects recently implemented a national RBF program for small-scale14510 | www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.fisheries (57). User input in the design of the rights-based management scheme was an essential element of success. Incentivizing Planners, Managers, and Policy Makers Aligning short-term GW 4064 msds incentives with long-term goals of improved environmental, social, and economic outcomes can begin with a demonstration of the potential for change and an exploration of trade-offs or new ways to build incentives. We highlight three recent examples that envision a future system state and quantify the potential economic benefits. Costello et al. (35) recently reported that reforming fisheries management using RBF approaches could result in annual increases of over 16 million metric tons in catch, US 53 billion in profits, and 619 million metric tons in fish biomass in the ocean, compared to business as usual. Appropriate reforms could also lead to a median recovery time of under 10 y for most fisheries. By exploring the transition of fisheries to secure-access management, Costello et al. showed that the associated economic incentives can benefit individual fishers and industry, as well as align with the societal interest of restoring and sustainably managing fish stocks. Analyses such as this provide a powerful incentive for governments and fishers to tackle the difficult business of fishery reform by making the path to a desirable system state more visible. But a compelling rationale is only the starting point. Realizing potential benefits is not easy and requires: sustained political leadership to reform policies; the strong engagement of fishers, fishing communities, and concerned citizens; the availability of financing for transition costs; scientific capacity to determine catch limits; and adequate catch accounting, compliance, and enforcement. Shifting economic incentives to synchronize with conservation goals is also relevant to coastal development. Ecosystem services provide a framework that allows managers, developers, policymakers, and stakeholders to examine the trade-offs between development and conservation. Recently, the government of Belize worked with scientists to develop the Belize Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan (58), based on a systematic analysis of the trade-offs between the development of the fisheries and tourism sectors and the ecosystem services provided by three key habitats: corals, mangroves, and seagrasses (59). The process entailed quantification of certain ecosystem services (coastal storm protection and provision of habitat-supporting fisheries) offered by intact habitats. Through robust scientific methods and strong engagement of the local community, the project ensured that stakeholders’ concerns were incorporated through the process, resulting in a well-supported and comprehensive plan leading to greater returns on both conservation and development. The plan has been endorsed by the government and is in the process of adoption at the national level (60). Innovative conservation strategies are also beginning to use economic incentives that engage new actors and stimulate novel feedback pathways. Debt-for-nature swaps originated in the 1980s as a way to reduce foreign debt in exchange for the protection of land (61). Whereas this approach has been widely applied to terrestrial systems, w.Ity and individual pride in maintaining fisheries as a livelihood. Based on the pilot program success, the Belizean government recently implemented a national RBF program for small-scale14510 | www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.fisheries (57). User input in the design of the rights-based management scheme was an essential element of success. Incentivizing Planners, Managers, and Policy Makers Aligning short-term incentives with long-term goals of improved environmental, social, and economic outcomes can begin with a demonstration of the potential for change and an exploration of trade-offs or new ways to build incentives. We highlight three recent examples that envision a future system state and quantify the potential economic benefits. Costello et al. (35) recently reported that reforming fisheries management using RBF approaches could result in annual increases of over 16 million metric tons in catch, US 53 billion in profits, and 619 million metric tons in fish biomass in the ocean, compared to business as usual. Appropriate reforms could also lead to a median recovery time of under 10 y for most fisheries. By exploring the transition of fisheries to secure-access management, Costello et al. showed that the associated economic incentives can benefit individual fishers and industry, as well as align with the societal interest of restoring and sustainably managing fish stocks. Analyses such as this provide a powerful incentive for governments and fishers to tackle the difficult business of fishery reform by making the path to a desirable system state more visible. But a compelling rationale is only the starting point. Realizing potential benefits is not easy and requires: sustained political leadership to reform policies; the strong engagement of fishers, fishing communities, and concerned citizens; the availability of financing for transition costs; scientific capacity to determine catch limits; and adequate catch accounting, compliance, and enforcement. Shifting economic incentives to synchronize with conservation goals is also relevant to coastal development. Ecosystem services provide a framework that allows managers, developers, policymakers, and stakeholders to examine the trade-offs between development and conservation. Recently, the government of Belize worked with scientists to develop the Belize Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan (58), based on a systematic analysis of the trade-offs between the development of the fisheries and tourism sectors and the ecosystem services provided by three key habitats: corals, mangroves, and seagrasses (59). The process entailed quantification of certain ecosystem services (coastal storm protection and provision of habitat-supporting fisheries) offered by intact habitats. Through robust scientific methods and strong engagement of the local community, the project ensured that stakeholders’ concerns were incorporated through the process, resulting in a well-supported and comprehensive plan leading to greater returns on both conservation and development. The plan has been endorsed by the government and is in the process of adoption at the national level (60). Innovative conservation strategies are also beginning to use economic incentives that engage new actors and stimulate novel feedback pathways. Debt-for-nature swaps originated in the 1980s as a way to reduce foreign debt in exchange for the protection of land (61). Whereas this approach has been widely applied to terrestrial systems, w.