A WorldFish honorary fellow has called for scientists and policymakers from around the world to listen and respect each other’s values more to better serve the fisher people of the world. This is critical to strengthening research collaborations and addressing areas of ignorance, said reflective practitioner Dr. John Kurien. Kurien’s comments were made at the MARE People and the Sea conference (24–28 June 2019), where he was addressing over 300 marine social scientists, practitioners and policymakers during the closing science policy plenary discussion.