The Common Fishery Policy vs fishermen’s good practices. Bottom-up strategies for a sustainable fishery: the case of the Fishermen Association of Gran Tarajal
(2014) 44th UACES Annual Conference — Location: University of Cork (1.September.2014)
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- Authors
- Abstract
- Regulating the working of European fisheries, the Common Fishery Policy - CFP - constitutes one of the most effective areas of EU direct ruling. Yet, nowadays, European fisheries and particularly small-scale ones experience a dramatic scenario where, alongside the decline and collapse of several fish stocks, the numerous incoherencies of the CFP accelerate the breakdown of this economic sector. Based on the evidences collected during the investigation I conducted in the local small-scale fishing port of Gran Tarajal, on the Spanish island of Fuerteventura, this project aims at demonstrating the validity of a local ecosystem-based governance of European fisheries where fishermen play a pivotal role to design effective policies for a sustainable fishery. Indeed, the good fishing practices developed and implemented by the members of the local fishermen association prove how local knowledge and capabilities are indispensable to correctly manage complex ecosystems. In the small Spanish town fishermen set limits and regulate fishing activities independently from - and often in contrast with - EU regulations, to preserve the good health of local fish stocks and seawaters while turning professional fishing into a profitable activity. Thus, staring from a brief overview of the state of the arts of European small-scale fisheries, I will introduce the case of the fishermen association of Gran Tarjal to demonstrate as, in order to safeguard the future of European seas and fisheries, the CFP must be turned today into a space for decentralized and participated European policymaking.
- Affiliations
University of Essex Department of Sociology
Citations
Orsini, G. (2014). The Common Fishery Policy vs fishermen’s good practices. Bottom-up strategies for a sustainable fishery: the case of the Fishermen Association of Gran Tarajal. 44th UACES Annual Conference, University of Cork. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/127712