Beyond the status quo: rethinking fishery management

Abstract

This chapter explores several controversial challenges for fishery manage-ment of the future. First, emphasis is placed on the need for appropriate involvement of the various stakeholders, including fishers, communities and the general public. In particular, the public, as holders of property rights to fish resources, deserve a greater involvement in fishery decision making. Second, the implications of a precautionary approach to uncer-tainty are explored, from the perspectives of fishery science (methodologies of stock assessment) and management (notably the transition from rigid to adaptive harvesting plans). The discussion points to a clear need to adjust the 'burden of proof in decision making so that by default, such decisions will favour conservation. Third, the nature of quota management is dis-cussed, highlighting the inherent lack of resilience and the negative con-servation impacts produced by an over-reliance on such controls. Finally, the chapter highlights the importance of shifting from a 'sectoral' view, in which the fishery is treated in isolation, to an integrated 'systems' view, with the fishery recognized as part of the larger coastal and regional economy.