| 1. |
- Arias Schreiber, Milena, 1965, et al.
(author)
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Reconceptualizing coastal fisheries conflicts: A Swedish case study
- 2023
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In: Maritime Studies. - 1872-7859. ; 22
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fisheries conflicts have often been interpreted as arising from disputes over access to fish. Competition for fishing stocks among resources users (human and non-human) and fisheries managers’ attempts to control access to fish are depicted as main causes of conflicts. From this perspective, rampant environmental degradation, climate change and a growing human population will only exacerbate tensions in fisheries. Yet is it only competition for fish that drives conflicts? Research on coastal and small-scale fishers has shown that they fish not only to achieve economic (material) goals but also to fulfill social and immaterial needs. Drawing on Burton’s theory of human needs, in this exploratory study we consider how attention to coastal fishers’ material and immaterial needs might illuminate aspects of fisheries disagreements that are missed when conflicts are theorized solely in terms of material interests. Our data comes from 46 voluntary written statements provided at the end of a self-administered multiple-choice survey on the fishing sector sent to all holders of a Swedish commercial fishing license in June 2019. Results suggest that coastal fisheries conflicts are not solely about access to fish but also about social and emotional needs for respect, identity, belongingness, and status. We argue that an overemphasis on material needs may divert attention away from other causes of tension and thus prevent actions that could alleviate or mitigate fisheries conflicts.
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| 2. |
- Del Solar, Alonso, et al.
(author)
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Peru Case Study: Big Challenges for Small Islands: Management and Governance of “Lobos de Afuera” Islands in the Peruvian Upwelling Ecosystem
- 2023
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In: Challenges in Tropical Coastal Zone Management: Experiences and Lessons Learned. - Cham : Springer International Publishing. - 9783031178795 ; , s. 303-322
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The management of coastal marine ecosystems requires a multi-sectorial, multidisciplinary approach, where both public and private sectors work together towards the conservation and sustainable use of the ecosystems. In an ideal scenario, the values and interests of all stakeholders should be considered in management strategies aligned with national and international norms and regulations. To this end, the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) could provide a platform for stakeholders to collaborate and achieve common management and conservation goals. In Peru, the “Guano Islands, Isles and Capes National Reserve System” was established in 2009 to conserve the biodiversity of the Northern Humboldt Current System. This MPA consists of 22 islands and isles, 11 capes, and their adjacent sea, divided into 25 polygons that cover 140, 000 ha, representing a big challenge in terms of management. In this chapter, we draw upon the case study of the octopus fishery in the polygon named Lobos de Afuera Islands (ILA) at the northern part of the MPA, to analyse the advances and setbacks, as well as the challenges associated with stakeholders participation, in relation to the accomplishment of the sustainability goals defined for this polygon. We assess institutional and knowledge challenges for ILA and describe how the deficient acknowledgment of users, the ecological knowledge gaps and a complex administrative system, which involves many institutions, have hindered the understanding of the social-ecological system and the islands management and governance desired outcomes. The neglect to acknowledge the octopus fishers as longtime users of ILA, due to the current illegal status of their fishery in northern Peru, and therefore as formal stakeholders in the polygon’s management, decreases the possibility of applying appropriate co-management strategies. However, a group of octopus divers has recently been formalised into a fishers association and aim at being accepted as formal stakeholders of ILA, through ongoing capacity building related to data collection and organisational skills. The problems of the rigid, inefficient, and limited institutional setup at ILA are also opportunities for identifying bottlenecks and blackboxes, from where research priorities towards an integrated management strategy can be outlined. The increased knowledge of this social-ecological system can also be extended to the whole Guano Islands MPA, where additional flexibility and operational capacities will be needed due to the connectivity among many polygons. Potential pathways towards useful ecosystem-based management may include the emergence of transversal government bodies that can respond faster to the MPA’s inner dynamic and to external pressures, allowing for a less bureaucratic and more integrated approach to management. Moreover, MPA authorities could promote signing general and specific agreements with public and private institutions, prioritising lines of research beyond sporadic projects, towards long-term sustainable management in ILA. The lessons and challenges here presented could also serve to improve the design and implementation of future MPAs in Peru to meet its international commitments.
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| 3. |
- Salmi, Pekka, et al.
(author)
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Societal transformations and governance challenges of coastal small-scale fisheries in the Northern Baltic Sea.
- 2023
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In: Ocean Governance : Knowledge Systems, Policy Foundations and Thematic Analyses. - Cham : Springer. - 9783031207402 ; , s. 295-317
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Our chapter adds a northern dimension to the discussion about the past, present and future of small-scale fisheries and their governance. For centuries, extraction of fish resources has been of utmost importance in many coastal areas of the Baltic Sea and small-scale fisheries have survived due to the robustness of the social institutions that have helped them adapt throughout periods of economic and social upheaval. Lately, the fishing livelihood has been undergoing a continuous process of contraction and concentration in terms of vessel numbers and employment. Leisure use of water areas, nature conservation and science-based governance systems have challenged fishers’ access to fish resources. Especially in the northern parts of the Baltic Sea, the viability and future of coastal small-scale fisheries is severely challenged by problems caused by fish-eating animals, mainly grey seals and cormorants. We draw upon interactive governance theory to compare experiences on Finnish and Swedish small-scale fisheries governance. Our conclusion is that the present governance system is incompatible with the small-scale fisheries context, and propose creating new co-governance arrangements where small-scale fishers’ interests, values and local knowledge are better integrated into a governance system.
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