Fishing occupational health and safety: A comparison of regulatory regimes and safety outcomes in six countries

The actual or potential effects on fishing health and safety of the full scope of national and international regulatory regime components governing commercial fishing are often poorly understood. Especially lacking are comprehensive reviews of all the government policies that directly and indirectly affect fishing risk within countries with significant commercial fisheries. We present the results of a comprehensive, multi-national project that compares the regulatory regimes of six countries (Canada, US, UK, Iceland, New Zealand, and South Africa) and examines the impacts (either real or perceived) of legislation and regulations on fishing occupational health and safety outcomes. A conceptual model is proposed that identifies potential sources of direct and indirect risks to fishing health and safety in order to throw light on potential pathways from regulation to fishing safety. Our results highlight differences and gaps in the regulatory frameworks of the countries studied and point to the urgent need for improved assessment and for access to accurate and standardized statistics regarding fishing-related injuries and illnesses. We conclude with several recommendations for moving forward.     

Fisheries in the context of marine spatial planning: Defining principal areas for fisheries in the German EEZ

A method is presented to define principal areas for fisheries at high spatial resolution applicable to be implemented into marine spatial planning procedures. Vessel monitoring system (VMS) data from 2005 to 2006 are acquired to determine vessel-based fishing effort. Principal areas for the German exclusive economic zone (EEZ) are defined as areas in which 75% of the effort of either year is carried out. Examples are given for the 5 most abundant fisheries in the German EEZ in terms of vessel-based effort, i.e. gill netting, pelagic trawling, demersal otter board trawling and beam trawling >300 and <300 HP. A historical comparison for demersal otter board trawling shows relative stability of spatial utilization patterns in the North Sea section of the EEZ.     

Evaluating collaborative fisheries management planning: A Canadian case study

Governing agencies increasingly employ collaborative forms of decision-making in fisheries management to improve decision quality and legitimacy. However, crafting fair and effective collaborative processes that will achieve these benefits is often difficult. In an effort to identify keys and obstacles to success, this research examined participants’ evaluations of a collaborative planning process in Canada's Pacific groundfish fisheries. Results indicate that an incentive to participate, consensus decision-making, and independent facilitation were essential to ensuring the fairness and effectiveness of the process. Together, these elements motivated agreement while providing security against process manipulation by both participants and governing agencies.     

The paradox of public participation in fisheries governance. The rising number of actors and the devolution process

During the process by which the number of actors was increased manifold as a result of the development of civil society, the fisher community has lost prominence and importance, fading into the wide spectrum of interests with which it is competing to make its voice heard in decision-making bodies and in the media. This results in what could be termed the participation paradox—the greater the number of actors, the smaller the role each plays, and the lesser the importance of traditional sectors. Participation and devolution do not bear a linear relationship; greater devolution does not necessarily result in greater participation, a claim that has contributed to the processes of devolution being overvalued. Governance, as interaction between State, civil society and the market, paradoxically might not strengthen the most traditional of the interest groups.     

Time-zoning for the safe-guarding of capture fisheries: A closed season in Tamil Nadu,India

A closed fishing season is arguably the most important fisheries regulation measure implemented by the government of India in the new millennium. Applied mainly to the inshore trawl fishing fleet, the planners’ intention was a safe-guarding of capture fisheries. This article, which is based on fieldwork in seven harbour locations, considers the socio-economic consequences of the closed fishing season for trawler fishermen in the state of Tamil Nadu. It concludes that the success of the ban is based on cooperation between government and local fisher associations, and on broad agreement as to its necessity. Those who are impacted most by the implementation of the closed fishing season are lower-class workers and traders lacking opportunities for alternative employment.     

Network governance in fisheries

Globalisation is enabling an increasing number of stakeholders to become better informed and more determined to participate in the management of both coastal and high-seas fisheries. Centralised fisheries management agencies are therefore becoming increasingly unable to exert control over the flow of information in fisheries management processes, and less able to exclude other formal and informal institutions from influencing management processes. This work details the emergence of network governance processes and concludes that network governance is likely to erode the traditional command and control authority of many formal government-mandated agencies, and potentially increase the transaction costs in fisheries management processes. However, this style of emergent management may also increase the robustness of management decisions.     

Fostering sustainable behaviours in community-based co-managed fisheries

This paper examines the use of community-based social marketing (CBSM) techniques to encourage more sustainable behaviors within community-based co-managed (CBCM) fisheries. An overview of the CBSM theory and practice is provided along with an evaluation of how CBSM has been successfully used to foster sustainable behaviors in other analogous resource management sectors (e.g., agriculture). It is argued that CBSM is highly conducive to CBCM fisheries arrangements due to the shared goals of stakeholder participation and empowerment and that, currently, CBSM has been overlooked as a tool for fostering more sustainable behaviors, particularly in the case of CBCM fisheries.     

What is the ecosystem approach for fisheries management?

The ecosystem approach for fisheries management is a widely accepted concept and various international instruments require its application. However, there are various interpretations of the ecosystem approach and its application almost always brings about confrontations and resistance among managers, proponents, and stakeholders. This paper categorizes the ecosystem approach into four distinguishable types: bycatch mitigation, multi-species management, protection of vulnerable ecosystems, and integrated approach. Furthermore, the lack of identification and understanding of specific management goals is hampering the application of the ecosystem approach. Unless the stakeholders understand and accept the goals, the ecosystem approach will not succeed.     

From open access to co-governance and conservation: The case of women shellfish collectors in Galicia (Spain)

Improving governability is an important objective in many fisheries and coastal areas. However, it may be difficult to modify the factors influencing this. Specifically, enhancing the capacity of user groups and civil society to cope with the tasks involved in co-governance situations may constitute a challenge, although the advantages in factors such as legitimacy and adaptability to local situations may reward the efforts. This paper attempts to analyze the process of transformation of on-foot shellfish gathering in Galicia, an activity that has traditionally been developed mainly by women in a regime similar to an open access regime. However, in recent decades this situation has changed, and nowadays many areas where this activity flourishes are in a situation of active co-governance, with a type of license system. Shellfisher organizations plan and control the exploitation with the support of the government, even using seeding techniques to regenerate areas that were previously degraded. Over the last decade, they have avoided overexploitation and have managed the marketing of the shellfish much better than ever before. We emphasize in the article that the role of the administration in this process has been decisive, investing in training and improving the organizations and the social dimension of the activity through different strategies. The empowerment of women has been an essential element in this process, which has also enhanced social valuation of the activity. This case may exemplify the possibilities open for progress in potential co-governing situations.     

Stakeholder participation in ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management: A synthesis from European research projects

In this synthesis article, we claim that institutional innovation is required for ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management (EBAFM), and that such innovation can best be achieved by engaging in a delicate process of societal decision making. Current instances of participation in fisheries shed light on the societal processes required for such institutional innovation. We apply the IBEFish analytical frame to examine findings from recent European research on participation in fisheries management at different jurisdictional levels. We distil several issues of major concern for institutional innovation towards EBAFM. These concern information management, legitimacy, social dynamics and costs, as well as aspects of cross-scale and cross-sector integration of fisheries governance.