Establishing a governance threshold in small-scale fisheries to achieve sustainability

• DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01606-x
• Publication Date: 2021-08-17T14:03:01Z
• Authors: Alba Aguión; Elena Ojea; Lucía García-Flórez; Teresa Cruz; Joxe Mikel Garmendia; Dominique Davoult; Henrique Queiroga; Antonella Rivera; José Luis Acuña-F...; Gonzalo Macho
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; Conservation of Natural Resources; Co-management; 5312.01 Agricultura, Silvicultura, Pesca; Fisheries; 5311 Organización y Dirección de Empresas; [SDV.SA.STP] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences/Sciences and technics of fishery; 01 natural sciences; 12. Responsible consumption; [SDE.ES] Environmental Sciences/Environment and Society; 14. Life underwater; Governance; Small-scale fisheries; 16. Peace & justice; [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society; Europe; 2510.92 Acuicultura Marina; Sustainability; Seafood; JEL: M - Business Administration and Business Economics • Marketing • Accounting • Personnel Economics/M.M1 - Business Administration/M.M1.M19 - Other; [SDV.SA.STP]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences/Sciences and technics of fishery; [SHS.GESTION]Humanities and Social Sciences/Business administration; [SHS.GESTION] Humanities and Social Sciences/Business administration; JEL: Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics • Environmental and Ecological Economics/Q.Q2 - Renewable Resources and Conservation/Q.Q2.Q22 - Fishery • Aquaculture; Research Article

AbstractThe lack of effective governance is a major concern in small-scale fisheries. The implementation of governance that encompasses the three pillars of sustainability (social, economic, and ecological) is still a worldwide challenge. We examined nine stalked barnacle fisheries (Pollicipes pollicipes) across Southwest Europe to better understand the relationship between governance elements and sustainability. Our results show that nested spatial scales of management, the access structure, co-management, and fisher’s participation in monitoring and surveillance promote sustainability. However, it is not the mere presence of these elements but their level of implementation that drives sustainability. Efforts should be placed in the accomplishment of a minimum combination of local scales of management, access rights through individual quotas, instructive-consultative co-management and functional participation. Surpassing this threshold in future governance structures will start to adequately promote social, economic and ecologically sustainability in small-scale fisheries.