Experiences with Fisheries Co-Management in Europe

Abstract

The current, highly centralized approach to fisheries management seems to be incapable of coping with escalating resource depletion and environmental degradation. Co-management has been identifi ed as an alternative. This paper compares various approaches to fi sheries management and discusses their performance in relation to the nature of the fi shery. It is concluded that in African fi sheries, stringent institutional arrangements, poor human, technical and fi nancial resources, and a limited time frame often thwart co-management approaches. However, with the right conditions and prerequisites, comanagement can be successful in improving compliance with regulations and maintaining or enhancing the quality of the resource. The paper brings out the issues that require further research.