Industrialised nations have developed fisheries management systems that directly and substantially affect the fishing industry’s operations and catches, and cause major socio-economic changes among people and communities associated with fisheries.
Thus, management issues are particularly relevant to (and widely disputed and criticised in) industrialised nations, especially in view of the doubtful results of the prevailing management policies and their often dire consequences.
State fisheries management is much less effective in Third World fisheries, where, with a few exceptions, its actual impact is between barely tangible and not at all. But, in spite the of fact that western fisheries management has little to brag about, western aid agencies and their social scientists and 'agents of change' keep trying to introduce it to developing countries. Since most 'top-down' management systems as a rule do not work, these are the non top-down fishery management schemes, including various forms of co-management that are promoted for bearing more promise under most conditions. Thus, books and handbooks that in a sensible, practical manner show a way or ways to such alternative management, should be most welcomed.
In the November 2004 issue of World Fishing ('Let the cats guard the cream'), I reviewed a book summing up experience in co-management in many countries. This concept, which is strongly supported by most social scientists, some economists and many fishermen, has been suffering from lame implementation attempts, though not from lack of learned justification and endorsements.
Recently I acquired two more books on the subject. One, 'Fishery Co-Management: A Practical Handbook' (264-pp), was written by Robert S. Pomeroy and Rebecca Rivera-Guieb, and published in 2006 by CAB International [www.cabi-publishing.org] and IDRC (International Development Research Centre based in Ottawa) [www.idrc.ca].
The other one, 'How to Manage a Fishery' (81 pp), was written by J. Hindson, D. D. Hoggarth, M. Krishna, C. C. Mees and C. O'Neill, and published in 2005 by MRAG [http://www.mragltd.com/], SC Ltd., London, and CEE, Ahmedabad.
All three books came in the wake of J. R. McGoodwin's (2001) book 'Understanding the Cultures of Fishing Communities: A key to fisheries management and food security' (FAO's Fish.Tech.Pap.401), which I reviewed in the September 2005 issue of World Fishing, and some other FAO publications. Although they mainly target small-scale fisheries in the developing world, some of their guidance may also be applicable to certain fisheries in industrial countries.
'Fishery co-management' is based on the practice and experience of IDRC and designated for use by initiators and facilitators of co-management – government, change agents, community leaders and community members, as well as motivated fishers, and as a practical reference and a 'working document that is revised and adapted to a special situation'. It provides ideas, techniques and examples, for the planning and implementing of a process of community-based co-management, a process which should draw in fishermen to become active members of a management team, and work together with government and other stakeholders.
Although the authors did bring up the need for community action and mention existing organisations, as well as the value of indigenous knowledge, they completely missed the potential of traditional frameworks and organisations to serve as core-groups on which co-management might lean. In many cases, riding 'piggy-back' on such traditional systems and organisations may be the best way to introduce local changes.
The style of this book suits mainly university students, people with academic background or otherwise, used to reading formal, generalising texts. I hope that government officers and other 'agents of change' would have the patience and motivation to read the book and learn from it. Fishermen and other community members, even the more literate ones, may find it lacking direct concrete information and instruction.
Notwithstanding, this is a good, consensual reference book and a good teaching material for students specialising in fisheries-associated management, socio-anthropology and economics, and, above all, if they intend to serve in fisheries departments or be active in NGOs involved with fisheries management.
'How to Manage a Fishery' is a simple and rather mechanical step-by-step guide to writing a fishery management plan, rich in tables, graphs, stage lists and matrices. It is mainly aimed at government managers whom, at the beginning, the learned authors tellingly put in their proper place:…“As a fisheries manager you don't need to know exactly how these tools (stock assessment (SA) – MB-Y) work – unless you want to. This is the job of your fishery scientists” etc. Another problem is that the authors are referring to the outdated MSY-based stock assessment and the consequent management methods that are now recognised as inadequate, and already on their way to become obsolete.
As far as co-management goes, there's a chapter on involving stakeholders' participation in the process of developing a management plan, which indicates four 'alternative levels of participation': tell (what you want to do), ask (for stakeholders' ideas and opinions), discuss (your plan with them), and decide (jointly with stakeholders). I just do not know why these levels should be 'alternative'; consecutively applied they would form a beautiful blueprint for co-management planning.
Later on, I was glad to read the following key qualification: “If…your SA modelling suggests the use of a particular management measure – such as catch quota or the size of a net – then you should consult with the key stakeholders including the fishermen to check what impact they think this measure would have on their livelihoods and on the fish stocks. You should be prepared to change or modify your management measures in the light of their feedback, unless there are very good reasons for not doing so”.
When writing on ecological objectives of fisheries management, the authors' only worry is about what fishing is doing to the environment, not what all sorts of external factors, such as, for example coastal pollution, are doing to the fishery, and what could be done about it. This excludes the option that the management plan might incorporate attempts at locating and resisting pollution sources, opposing harmful longshore developments, as well as other activities aimed at protecting fish resources.
benyami@actcom.net.il
