WTO fisheries subsidies negotiations: implications for fisheries access arrangements and sustainable management

The paper considers the WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies and the implications that envisaged disciplines will have on coastal developing countries. This is considered in relation to fisheries access agreements in the Central and Western Pacific where several least developed but resource rich island states such as Kiribati and Tuvalu are highly exposed to the risks associated with new WTO fisheries subsidies disciplines that do not consider their particular vulnerabilities. The paper considers some of the issues that coastal developing countries should incorporate into their emerging negotiating positions at the WTO. State-to-Sate fisheries access agreements which are often highly subsidised but where fishing vessel owners pay the equivalent of lump sum tax are paradoxically, the least distortionary and damaging to the environment. Strategies for managing the possible new disciplines are considered.     

Step zero for fisheries co-management: What precedes implementation

In this paper we argue that what precedes the implementation of co-management is as important as what happens later in the process. To a selected group of fisheries and coastal co-management practitioners in various parts of the world, we posed questions about how the idea was conceived, who participated in the initial discussion, and the preparation required before implementation. Responses received suggest a wide range of possible beginnings. In some cases (e.g., Barbados, Mozambique, and Zambia/Lake Kariba), the government spearheaded the process, while in others (e.g., Brazil and Malawi), the process was initiated by local entrepreneurs. In other instances, the initial discussion took place between communities and researchers (e.g., South Africa) or environmental groups (e.g., the Philippines). Learning about the conditions and actions taken prior to co-management implementation can assist us in evaluating the likelihood of success. In addition, by taking the time to understand situations in a local context, researchers can avoid premature and hasty attempts to embrace co-management schemes.     

Trust in the fisheries scientific community

This paper explores the issue of “trust” in the fisheries science community, a key corollary of effective risk communication. It presents the findings of a survey undertaken in Iceland, Greece, Spain, United Kingdom and Faroe Islands during 2008. The findings reveal differing levels of trust and mistrust in the fisheries science community between countries and between stakeholder groups, demonstrating areas for future attention in the interests of improving fisheries science and management. As this paper explores, unfortunately the “trust” necessary for effective stakeholder cooperation and participation within current fisheries science is currently somewhat lacking. The cited reasons behind this lack of trust include: a lack of soundness, credibility, responsiveness, flexibility and stakeholder involvement, flawed data and weak science, poor communications and political and lobby group interference. Notable from the results is a lack of consensus on the existence of a common language and vision. It is evident, however, that certain aspects of fisheries science are strong contributors to trust and that there are opportunities for improvement.     

A cautious fisheries management policy in South Africa: the fisheries for rock lobster

In South Africa, political emancipation has resulted in a new fisheries policy which is embodied in the Marine Living Resources Act of 1998. The pillars of the new policy are sustainability, equity and stability within the industry. We look particularly at a suite of mainly accessible species, the rock lobsters (truly spiny lobsters), at their management, at control measures, at realities of resource status and harvesting, at naturally occurring ecosystem stimuli, and investigate whether the policy can achieve what it aims to do, to provide more for more South Africans at levels at least equal to what they do today. Put simply, are the political aims and the sustainability aims of the new policy mutually achievable?     

Not all fisheries will be collapsed in 2048

In a recently published paper, Worm et al. [Impacts of biodiversity loss on ocean ecosystem services. Science 2006;314:787–90.] project “the global collapse of all taxa currently fished” by 2048. Using their criteria and data, this paper shows that the number of not-collapsed fisheries actually increased over time to a plateau of about 5600 in 1985–2003. Furthermore, if trends are projected into the future, more than half of the world's fisheries would always be in a recovered state.     

Benchmarking for fisheries governance

The paper develops a benchmarking framework to improve fisheries governance and promote resilient ecosystems and profitable fisheries. The benchmarking includes five key components: accountability, transparency, incentives, risk assessment and management; and adaptability. Collectively, these factors provide a framework to benchmark and improve fisheries governance. Initial findings from benchmarking in two of Australia's Commonwealth fisheries indicate that the framework provides an important tool to help overcome the underlying causes of unsustainability in capture fisheries—poor and/or ineffective fisheries governance.     

The Common Fisheries Policy of the European Union and fisheries economics

The revision of the Common Fisheries Policy of the European Union in 2003 was communicated in a ‘Roadmap’, including the opinion of the EU Commission on how to reform the fisheries policy. This paper reviews the Roadmap and confronts the opinion and initiatives proposed by the Commission with the ‘conventional’ bioeconomic theory. The purpose is to assess to what extent the lessons of the theory could be found in the Roadmap. Having in mind the complexity of the EU fisheries, the Roadmap, in particular, focuses on fleet management policy with the aim of reducing overcapacity on a community level. This applies as a supplementary means to the conventional fish stock conservation measures. In conclusion, the EU Commission is aware of the lessons learned from the bioeconomic theory.     

Law and fisheries reform: Legislative and policy developments in South African fisheries over the decade 1994–2004

Following the enactment of the Constitution in 1996, the South African government undertook a process of legal reform in the fishing sector. This led to the publication of a new fisheries policy endorsing equity and sustainability, as reflected in the Marine Living Resources Act. This paper examines efforts to implement the policy, particularly the objective of “transformation”, against the background of law reform in fisheries over the last decade. The discussion is located within the context of related domestic legal developments and current trends in international fisheries law. Methods for enhancing effective implementation of the new fisheries policy are highlighted.     

Managing overcapacity in small-scale fisheries in Southeast Asia

It is now almost universally accepted that most of the nearshore fisheries in Southeast Asia are overfished. It is also accepted that overcapacity is one of the leading causes of this overfishing. The problem of addressing overcapacity in small-scale fisheries in Southeast Asia is much more complex than that of reducing overcapacity in industrial fleets. In order to manage capacity, managers need to measure and understand how much capacity currently exists in the fishery and what is the desirable level of capacity that best meets the set of management objectives. The only feasible solution to overcapacity may be based on a coordinated and integrated approach involving a mixed strategy of resource management, resource restoration and conservation, livelihoods and economic and community development, and restructured governance arrangements. The reduction of overcapacity implies an increased focus on people-related solutions and on communities.     

Guidelines for organizing a fisheries learning exchange

This short communication piece presents guidelines and challenges for organizing fisheries learning exchanges (FLEs). Non-governmental organizations, government agencies, and resource users use FLEs to share best practices and bridge knowledge gaps between small-scale fishing communities and stakeholder groups. Even though FLEs are widely used and have numerous cited benefits, there are challenges associated with planning and implementing FLEs. To overcome these challenges and maximize FLEs’ effectiveness, the authors describe guidelines for FLE organizers. The guidelines are based on the perspectives of over 20 FLE experts collected during 2013 through questionnaires, interviews, discussions, and surveys. The guidelines include steps that organizers should take before, during, and after a FLE. For instance, there was broad consensus that before a FLE, it is important to select a diverse group of participants, including both conservation advocates and critics, and to create an exchange agreement outlining the roles and responsibilities of participants. During a FLE, cultural activities and daily reflections by participants are valuable to the exchange process. After a FLE, activities that formalize the participants’ involvement in the FLE are important, such as welcome-home ceremonies and participation certificates. Follow-up support for FLE participants is perceived as an essential step in the FLE and should be included in the FLE's budget. Finally, challenges in organizing FLEs are explicitly described and potential solutions to overcome those challenges are provided. The authors researched and compiled these guidelines and challenges to inform and improve the increasingly widespread use of FLEs.     

Socio-economic drivers and indicators for artisanal coastal fisheries in Pacific island countries and territories and their use for fisheries management strategies

This is the first regional study of artisanal fisheries in Pacific Island countries and territories that demonstrated that the future of the region's artisanal fishery sector and the livelihood of coastal communities will be highly dependent on alternative subsistence and income sources, which are necessary to reduce fishing pressure to a sustainable level to maintain ecosystem services and food security. The overall objective of this study was to identify socio-economic indicators and drivers to improve the understanding of the dynamics between socio-economic conditions and current exploitation levels of finfish and invertebrates of coastal communities in 17 Pacific Island countries and territories. We showed that exploitation rates and thus possible overexploitation are not solely the consequence of a simple demographic growth process but are in fact a result of the choices people have. Our results confirmed a close relationship between resource exploitation rates and economic development at the national level and the availability of alternative income opportunities at the community level. Multivariate analysis results suggest that communities in countries with somewhat unfavourable conditions and limited access to alternatives and fishing households in communities with overall favourable economic conditions are at highest vulnerability as they have the highest dependence on coastal fisheries resources. Alternative economic opportunities at the national scale and availability of alternative income at the community level vary significantly between cultural groups. Based on our results, the development of management strategies with realistic expectations of ensuring livelihood of coastal communities and sustainable resource use in Pacific Island countries and territories requires a hierarchical and integral approach. Major drivers identified at the regional, cultural and local levels should be used to identify priorities, to assess overall advantages and limitations at the different levels as well as the vulnerability of communities targeted, and to develop strategies accordingly.     

Safety at sea and fisheries management:: fishermen's attitudes and the need for co-management

Safety at sea is a serious issue for the commercial fishing industry; it ranks highly in all assessments of occupational dangers including risk-taking, injuries, and fatalities. This paper examines the impact of fisheries management on safety at sea and the use of fishermen's input in the safety regulatory and management process. Using case study techniques of analysis, 22 boatowners, captains and crew all with a minimum of 10 years experience in the commercial fishing industry and from a common New England port (New Bedford) are interviewed. Findings strongly suggest that regulations that have been primarily designed to reduce pressure on fish stocks may also result in increased pressure on fishermen and decreased safety at sea. Attitudes about the role of the New England Fisheries Management Council and improvements to the safety regulatory and management process particularly with regard to the increased participation by fishermen are also examined.     

Impact evaluation of a fisheries development project

A number of fisheries development projects are undertaken every year in recognition of the important role fisheries play in many coastal communities. The objectives vary, but typically go beyond a limited focus on fisheries management and the ecosystem. This makes it difficult to evaluate the contribution of a project, particularly in data poor environments such as most developing countries. This paper used the recently developed Fisheries Performance Indicators (FPIs) to evaluate the impact of a World Bank development project in a Liberian coastal community. FPIs are designed to capture economic and social performance of a fisheries system in addition to the management and environmental impacts. The results show improvements in most ecological dimensions, and also in many social and economic dimensions targeted by the project. Hence, the project intervention appears to be positive. However, some indicators, particularly in relation to general governance in Liberia, showed a negative development which was not caused by the project.     

Distant water fisheries development and vessel monitoring system implementation in Taiwan—History and driving forces

This paper provides an analytical review of the development of distant water fisheries and the implementation of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) in Taiwan. Taiwanese distant water fisheries have gone through several stages in development: rebirth from the damage of World War II up until the early 1970s, stagnation during the mid-1970s to early 1980s, unbridled growth in the late 1980s to a peak in the 1990s–early 2000s, and a stage of disruption and transformation since the mid-2000s. There were two major fisheries in this stage: tuna and squid, both of which rank between the world's first and third largest. Development was mainly driven by national promotion programs and vessel-building restricting policies; and international influences such as oil crises, declaration of exclusive economic zones, and legal arrangements that stimulated strengthening of international management measures. Growth in Taiwan's over-developed fisheries has outpaced the incommensurately scaled Taiwanese fisheries management sector that has not expanded in parallel with the fisheries. Monitoring of vessel activities remains a major management issue. VMS, which can provide both national and international bodies with an essential monitoring capability for ensuring resource management, was found to be one of the important solutions to this issue. The system, however, was initially unacceptable to the fishers, and the government has transformed external pressures arising from international arrangements and management measures into a force for promoting installation of VMS on Taiwanese fishing vessels. This has occurred in stages: a trial period during 1989–1992; initial development during 1994–1996; expansion during 1996–2004; and a more mature stage of enhanced implementation from 2005 to the present.     

Marine fisheries extension services: A training and visit system for southern Asia

This article considers the development of small-scale fisheries in southern Asia. It outlines a training and visit system that has been widely used in agricultural extension work, and suggests how such a system could be applied to fisheries. Extension workers not only give technical advice, but they attempt to change sociocultural attitudes that impede development. The author describes how a fisheries extension service should be organized.     

Criticism from former director of fisheries

In an article published in Marine Policy a year ago, (Lynne and Brian Chatterton, ‘How much political compromise can fisheries management stand’, Vol 5, No 1, April 1981), it was argued that management of South Australian coastal fisheries reflected the political ideology of the government in power, rather than the biological and socioeconomic imperatives of the resource. In the first article below, A.M. Olsen, former Director of Fisheries, criticizes the Chattertons' conclusions, maintaining that fisheries should be managed by professionals not politicians and that many of Brian Chatterton's problems during his tenure as Minister of Fisheries were of his own making. In the Chattertons' response, they point out that by allocating management of the resource between various vested interests (including government bureaucracy) a minister is making a political decision. In the third article, R.D. Walkerden, a former Permanent Secretary to Fisheries Ministers in South Australia, offers an administrator's view of the controversy. Detailed and parochial as some of the points at issue appear, the debate provides an illuminating view of some of the ideological and organizational conflicts that can hinder the effective management of a coastal resource.     

Co-management of sea turtle fisheries: Biogeography versus geopolitics

Co-management between local communities and government agencies is promoted as a strategy to improve fisheries management. This paper considers the potential for co-management of sea turtle fisheries within four UK Overseas Territories (OTs) in the Caribbean, and for co-ordinated management among those territories. We focus on fisher incentives for engaging in co-management and on the potential to scale up co-management to a regional level. This paper presents data from Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, and Turks and Caicos Islands, where 110 turtle fishers participated in a socio-economic survey undertaken as part of the ‘Turtles in the UK Overseas Territories in the Caribbean’ project. Based on three established criteria for co-management (perceived crisis in stock, willingness to participate and community cohesion), results suggest that fisher support for co-management exists within each OT, but the extent of support for and views of specific management interventions varies among OTs. The implications of results for co-management in each territory, and for establishing co-ordinated management regimes in the region, are discussed in the context of current debates about the nature of resources and scalar (mis)matches between resource and management regimes.     

Key characteristics of successful fisheries learning exchanges

This study examines the key characteristics of successful fisheries learning exchanges (FLEs). FLEs are peer-to-peer gatherings in which fishery stakeholders from different communities freely exchange information and experiences surrounding fisheries challenges and solutions. They are usually organized by fishers, non-governmental organizations and governments and are credited as an integral tool for the diffusion and adoption of fisheries management strategies. Despite their numerous perceived benefits within fisheries conservation and management, little research has been conducted on FLEs. This multiple case study addressed the research question: “What are the key characteristics of successful FLEs?” Success metrics were defined during a workshop on FLEs in 2013. For this study, the authors selected six successful FLEs that were presented during the workshop. Documentation of FLEs and key informant interviews with participants and organizers were used as data. The following key elements of successful FLEs emerged from analyses: (1) a clear guiding purpose and flexible objectives, (2) careful and considered selection of participants with diverse professions and conservation beliefs, (3) a mix of activities including giving presentations, conducting site visits, talking with local fishers, spending time on boats or in the water, and participating in cultural activities, and (4) logistical and financial follow-up support, including information dissemination about what participants learned at the FLE. Based on these results, the authors provide recommendations for conducting successful FLEs.