Based on the linkages between natural common pool resources and stakeholder theory, we aim at strengthening the theoretical understanding of dependent stakeholder engagement through empowerment in the context of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). In particular, we seek to demonstrate which empowerment areas and related actions towards fishermen at Torre Guaceto MPA (a European best practice of management) lead to superior levels of engagement and ultimately conduct to co-management and resilience of the common. We propose an approach based on longitudinal case study (from March 2014 to March 2017) respecting data triangulation through: formal face to face semi-structured interviews to various groups of stakeholders (from European institutional level to dependent stakeholders) as prime sources and content analysis of academic publications, reports from experts and official legal documents from Torre Guaceto MPA as secondary sources of data. This methodology puts in evidence the linkage between engagement and empowerment for dependent stakeholders, which appears to be under-investigated from an academic perspective. Moreover, through our study we respond to the call of strengthening empirical evidence over concrete actions to lead to co-management of the common within Italian Marine Protected Areas. The outcomes of the application are developed around the suggestion of concrete empowerment actions required both to deal with management crises and to lead to co-management and resiliency of the common. We suggest a practical application of stakeholder theory in the context of natural commons, through which organizational and managerial rules can be replicated for protecting natural commons and enabling higher levels of engagement based on empowerment, which are necessary for designing valuable joint strategies.