680
The last step of rapid and efficiently acquiring information of fishery production
using the cheapest option in fisheries management, such as the emergence of the
stakeholder approach and co-management (Hall and Close 2007; Schafer and Reis
2008) would then be more easily climbed.
Any citizen, or group, affected by or having an interest in programs, actions and
decisions concerning a given territory is a stakeholder (Lackey 2005; Hall and Close
2007; Schafer and Reis 2008). Stakeholders are included in the process of defining
goals and management measures for the territory they inhabit/use, its resources and
services. The involvement and articulation among stakeholders is primordial for a
higher chance of guaranteeing the widespread support of society since most traditional and non-traditional populations does not dominate science-based techniques
of fisheries management (Lackey 2005; Schafer and Reis 2008). In this sense, comanagement represents a further development in relation to conventional fisheries
management, in which some government authority manages fishing simply through
the issuing of regulations and local institutions (fishers associations, NGOs) (Lackey
2005; Schafer and Reis 2008).
Close and detailed environmental and biological monitoring, scientific support
through consistently designed experiments to detect population changes, and comanagement observing community and resources needs are receiving more attention in the last decades since there are many fish resources that recovered their
stocks based on the employment of one, two or all of these concepts (González et al.
2006; Frangoudes et al. 2008). In Galicia (Spain), co-management, investments in
training, improvement of local organizations, use of seeding to regenerate degraded
areas, understanding and respecting the social dimension of shellfish gathering were
decisive strategies to a more successful exploitation of the grooved carpet shell
(Venerupis decussate), carpet shell (Venerupis pullastra), and cockles (Cardium
edule) (Frangoudes et al. 2008). Fishers organizations, with the support of the government, have combated and reversed overexploitation and much better regulated
the shellfish market through women empowerment (Frangoudes et al. 2008). The
activity, traditionally developed by women, in an open access regime (commons), is
now actively co-managed through a license system (Frangoudes et al. 2008).
Another case of improvement in the relationship fishers-resources related to mollusks is observed in Chile. There, coastal benthic fisheries of loco shellfish
(Concholepas concholepas) was the most significant local resource (González et al.
2006). The closure of the loco fishery between 1988 and 1992 was the result of an
overfishing crisis. It lead to the implementation of the Territorial Use Rights model
(TURFs) into fisheries legislation. Currently, the abundance of shellfish within the
TURFs increased and legal fishing is stabilized (González et al. 2006). The loco
fishery was ordered, and fishers perception about the TURFs is mostly positive.
However, outside the TURFs at least half of the captures remain illegal (González
et al. 2006). The challenge now lies at expanding the experimental gains to wider
scales to diminish illegal catches, increase fishers participation at other localities
and provide feedback to decision makers for the completion of the adaptive management through accurate biological, landing and market data.
M. Barletta et al.
The last step of rapid and efficiently acquiring information of fishery production
using the cheapest option in fisheries management, such as the emergence of the
stakeholder approach and co-management (Hall and Close 2007; Schafer and Reis
2008) would then be more easily climbed.
Any citizen, or group, affected by or having an interest in programs, actions and
decisions concerning a given territory is a stakeholder (Lackey 2005; Hall and Close
2007; Schafer and Reis 2008). Stakeholders are included in the process of defining
goals and management measures for the territory they inhabit/use, its resources and
services. The involvement and articulation among stakeholders is primordial for a
higher chance of guaranteeing the widespread support of society since most traditional and non-traditional populations does not dominate science-based techniques
of fisheries management (Lackey 2005; Schafer and Reis 2008). In this sense, comanagement represents a further development in relation to conventional fisheries
management, in which some government authority manages fishing simply through
the issuing of regulations and local institutions (fishers associations, NGOs) (Lackey
2005; Schafer and Reis 2008).
Close and detailed environmental and biological monitoring, scientific support
through consistently designed experiments to detect population changes, and comanagement observing community and resources needs are receiving more attention in the last decades since there are many fish resources that recovered their
stocks based on the employment of one, two or all of these concepts (González et al.
2006; Frangoudes et al. 2008). In Galicia (Spain), co-management, investments in
training, improvement of local organizations, use of seeding to regenerate degraded
areas, understanding and respecting the social dimension of shellfish gathering were
decisive strategies to a more successful exploitation of the grooved carpet shell
(Venerupis decussate), carpet shell (Venerupis pullastra), and cockles (Cardium
edule) (Frangoudes et al. 2008). Fishers organizations, with the support of the government, have combated and reversed overexploitation and much better regulated
the shellfish market through women empowerment (Frangoudes et al. 2008). The
activity, traditionally developed by women, in an open access regime (commons), is
now actively co-managed through a license system (Frangoudes et al. 2008).
Another case of improvement in the relationship fishers-resources related to mollusks is observed in Chile. There, coastal benthic fisheries of loco shellfish
(Concholepas concholepas) was the most significant local resource (González et al.
2006). The closure of the loco fishery between 1988 and 1992 was the result of an
overfishing crisis. It lead to the implementation of the Territorial Use Rights model
(TURFs) into fisheries legislation. Currently, the abundance of shellfish within the
TURFs increased and legal fishing is stabilized (González et al. 2006). The loco
fishery was ordered, and fishers perception about the TURFs is mostly positive.
However, outside the TURFs at least half of the captures remain illegal (González
et al. 2006). The challenge now lies at expanding the experimental gains to wider
scales to diminish illegal catches, increase fishers participation at other localities
and provide feedback to decision makers for the completion of the adaptive management through accurate biological, landing and market data.
M. Barletta et al.