138
M. Bavinck and J. Kooiman
Implications for Governability
Each of the cases discussed above includes a comment about what constitutes an
urgent governance issue or challenge, and what a ‘successful governance intervention’ might therefore look like. Biodiversity concerns (Case 2 above) fi rst emerged
in the realms of international science and environmental politics, and then impinged
on the fi sheries of the Gulf of Mannar. Concerns about the snail net (Case 1), however, arose within the localized fi shing societies of the Coromandel Coast, resulting
in fi sher (not governmental) action.
The mackerel fi shery of the Coromandel Coast (Case 3) does not present serious
governability challenges to any governor at present and is largely taken care of by
regular market mechanisms. The simplicity of that fi sh chain stands in contrast to the
complex tuna fi shery (Case 4), which is the scene of globalized governance efforts,
ranging in location from the high seas to harbors and long liners, processing industries, trade and quality control. Finally, the slow dynamics of the localized chank
fi shery (Case 5) stand out against the hectic of shrimp trawling along the Indian coasts
(Case 6). The latter can be handled only at a national or state level, such as through the
imposition of a uniform closed season (Bavinck et al. 2008 ) . Furthermore, due to its
volatility and many externalities, the trawl fi shery also requires constant vigilance.
The intention of the illustrative examples in this section of the paper has been to
persuade the reader that the four features – diversity, complexity, dynamics, and spatial
scale – do permeate and affect systems-to-be-governed, and, secondly, pose varying
challenges for governance. Not only does each empirical situation provide different
combinations of features, but the intensities by which these features manifest themselves also vary. Not every fi shery is equally shaped by dynamics, nor is it equally
diverse or complex. For governance action to be successful, governing systems and
governing interactions must take on different shapes and styles of functioning.
Before closing this section, one point still needs addressing. We mentioned above
that fi sheries systems operating in a speci fi c setting are frequently made up not of
single, but of multiple fi sh chains, or ‘bundles’. The individual chains that make up a
bundle intersect – and interconnect – in various ways. The most obvious intersection
occurs in the persons of the fi shers (or traders, processors, etc.) who participate in
multiple fi sheries (and are affected by multiple governance arrangements). The composite ‘bundle’ is characterized by greater diversity and complexity than each single
chain, with interferences between chains affecting their dynamics in, at times, unpredictable ways. This creates substantial challenges for governors aiming to create a
holistic approach, because the various chains function at different scale levels. Their
goals may only be achieved through linking with governing actors at other scales.
Governability and the Governing System
Governing activity involves more than fi nding an appropriate response to a particular
societal issue. It is also about getting the structure and performance of a governing
system right. This section considers governability of a fi sheries system from the
M. Bavinck and J. Kooiman
Implications for Governability
Each of the cases discussed above includes a comment about what constitutes an
urgent governance issue or challenge, and what a ‘successful governance intervention’ might therefore look like. Biodiversity concerns (Case 2 above) fi rst emerged
in the realms of international science and environmental politics, and then impinged
on the fi sheries of the Gulf of Mannar. Concerns about the snail net (Case 1), however, arose within the localized fi shing societies of the Coromandel Coast, resulting
in fi sher (not governmental) action.
The mackerel fi shery of the Coromandel Coast (Case 3) does not present serious
governability challenges to any governor at present and is largely taken care of by
regular market mechanisms. The simplicity of that fi sh chain stands in contrast to the
complex tuna fi shery (Case 4), which is the scene of globalized governance efforts,
ranging in location from the high seas to harbors and long liners, processing industries, trade and quality control. Finally, the slow dynamics of the localized chank
fi shery (Case 5) stand out against the hectic of shrimp trawling along the Indian coasts
(Case 6). The latter can be handled only at a national or state level, such as through the
imposition of a uniform closed season (Bavinck et al. 2008 ) . Furthermore, due to its
volatility and many externalities, the trawl fi shery also requires constant vigilance.
The intention of the illustrative examples in this section of the paper has been to
persuade the reader that the four features – diversity, complexity, dynamics, and spatial
scale – do permeate and affect systems-to-be-governed, and, secondly, pose varying
challenges for governance. Not only does each empirical situation provide different
combinations of features, but the intensities by which these features manifest themselves also vary. Not every fi shery is equally shaped by dynamics, nor is it equally
diverse or complex. For governance action to be successful, governing systems and
governing interactions must take on different shapes and styles of functioning.
Before closing this section, one point still needs addressing. We mentioned above
that fi sheries systems operating in a speci fi c setting are frequently made up not of
single, but of multiple fi sh chains, or ‘bundles’. The individual chains that make up a
bundle intersect – and interconnect – in various ways. The most obvious intersection
occurs in the persons of the fi shers (or traders, processors, etc.) who participate in
multiple fi sheries (and are affected by multiple governance arrangements). The composite ‘bundle’ is characterized by greater diversity and complexity than each single
chain, with interferences between chains affecting their dynamics in, at times, unpredictable ways. This creates substantial challenges for governors aiming to create a
holistic approach, because the various chains function at different scale levels. Their
goals may only be achieved through linking with governing actors at other scales.
Governability and the Governing System
Governing activity involves more than fi nding an appropriate response to a particular
societal issue. It is also about getting the structure and performance of a governing
system right. This section considers governability of a fi sheries system from the