Rethinking Artisanal Fisheries Development: Western Concepts, Asian Experiences . Donald K. Emmerson.

Abstract

This paper argues for policies that are sensitive to contexts and alternatives. A simple analytic frame is offered to replace general and possibly incompatible intentions with specific, ranked and complementary goals. Compared to production and conservation, distribution as a major concern of marine resource management has received inadequate attention. Yet to those who live in fishing communities, the sharing of the value of the catch is crucial and likely to become more so as marine resources grow scarcer in relation to demand. Also reflecting the increased importance of distributive issues is the assertion of national authority over previously unclaimed oceanic space. After examining the policy implications of these ideas, the author recommends against integrating a fishery vertically (improving catch technology, expanding shore facilities, adding value through processing, reorganizing markets) without also considering the benefits of horizontal integration (enabling low-income participants in a fishery to benefit from interaction with nonfishing groups and to respond to opportunities for nonfishing employment) lest well-intentioned developers end up escalating the scale of failure of a fishery that may be or soon become biologically exhausted.