Balancing Sustainable Livelihoods and Conservation …
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in most cases. It is assumed that people only fish as an occupation of last resort, and
that people would give up fishing if a more economically viable option as available.
These assumptions rarely hold true because they often fail to consider people’s strong
attachment to the fishing lifestyle (cultural and personal identity).
Therefore to ensure effective participation from economic stakeholders (especially fishers), reduce conflict and sustain long term sustainability, MPA management
should include provisions that help fishers achieve enhanced livelihood as much as
possible. This mainly involves active and meaningful participation throughout the
process through which management regulations and provisions are taken.
Maltese fisheries represent a typically Mediterranean artisanal type. They are
not species selective and are frequently described as multi-species and multi-gear
fisheries. This means that fishers switch from one gear to another several times
throughout the year (NSO 2016). The social and cultural importance of the Maltese
fishing industry far outweighs its negligible economic contribution, which is equivalent to about 0.1% of the national Gross Domestic Product (NSO 2016). The most
active fishing ports in the Maltese islands are located in the Southwest area with
more than 1047 boats registered while the most common size of boats utilised are
boats up to 5 m in length or from 5 to 10 m in length (NSO 2016). The main fishing
port in Malta is Marsaxlokk Harbour, in the southeast of the island while the most
important fishing port on the island of Gozo is Mgarr Harbour, where over 70% of the
island’s fleet berth. There are four fishers’ cooperatives in Malta and all professional
fishermen are affiliated to one of them.
3 Methodology
The methodology for this study included extended interviews with a number of
stakeholders employing constructivist/interpretivist approaches. The study included
the participation of 26 separate stakeholders (entities, co-operatives or associations)
of which 12 were economic stakeholders. This included both economic stakeholders
and those whose livelihood was not necessarily dependant on the marine environment
such as government agencies and regulatory authorities, along with NGOs as seen
in Fig. 2. These stakeholders were deemed to be of importance in order to obtain a
more comprehensive view of the current situation.
The planning of the research process started off with a ‘desk study’ process in
order to set up a plan of action with regard to research. An introductory meeting
with stakeholders was first set up during January (2018). During this meeting this
study was introduced and the scope of the livelihood analysis explained. Having
already considered the importance to use qualitative research, a number of interview
questions were drafted. The interviews took the structure of a focus group or group
interview as more than one representative from the same association was present.
The author personally acted as the moderator or interviewer in all the interviews
and tried to ‘create a permissive and nurturing environment that encourages honest
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in most cases. It is assumed that people only fish as an occupation of last resort, and
that people would give up fishing if a more economically viable option as available.
These assumptions rarely hold true because they often fail to consider people’s strong
attachment to the fishing lifestyle (cultural and personal identity).
Therefore to ensure effective participation from economic stakeholders (especially fishers), reduce conflict and sustain long term sustainability, MPA management
should include provisions that help fishers achieve enhanced livelihood as much as
possible. This mainly involves active and meaningful participation throughout the
process through which management regulations and provisions are taken.
Maltese fisheries represent a typically Mediterranean artisanal type. They are
not species selective and are frequently described as multi-species and multi-gear
fisheries. This means that fishers switch from one gear to another several times
throughout the year (NSO 2016). The social and cultural importance of the Maltese
fishing industry far outweighs its negligible economic contribution, which is equivalent to about 0.1% of the national Gross Domestic Product (NSO 2016). The most
active fishing ports in the Maltese islands are located in the Southwest area with
more than 1047 boats registered while the most common size of boats utilised are
boats up to 5 m in length or from 5 to 10 m in length (NSO 2016). The main fishing
port in Malta is Marsaxlokk Harbour, in the southeast of the island while the most
important fishing port on the island of Gozo is Mgarr Harbour, where over 70% of the
island’s fleet berth. There are four fishers’ cooperatives in Malta and all professional
fishermen are affiliated to one of them.
3 Methodology
The methodology for this study included extended interviews with a number of
stakeholders employing constructivist/interpretivist approaches. The study included
the participation of 26 separate stakeholders (entities, co-operatives or associations)
of which 12 were economic stakeholders. This included both economic stakeholders
and those whose livelihood was not necessarily dependant on the marine environment
such as government agencies and regulatory authorities, along with NGOs as seen
in Fig. 2. These stakeholders were deemed to be of importance in order to obtain a
more comprehensive view of the current situation.
The planning of the research process started off with a ‘desk study’ process in
order to set up a plan of action with regard to research. An introductory meeting
with stakeholders was first set up during January (2018). During this meeting this
study was introduced and the scope of the livelihood analysis explained. Having
already considered the importance to use qualitative research, a number of interview
questions were drafted. The interviews took the structure of a focus group or group
interview as more than one representative from the same association was present.
The author personally acted as the moderator or interviewer in all the interviews
and tried to ‘create a permissive and nurturing environment that encourages honest