On 24th and 25th April 2006, the European Bureau for Conservation & Development in collaboration with the IUCN/SSC ESUSG Fisheries Working Group (FWG), organised a workshop in Scotland on “Sustainable fisheries & the ecosystem”, with co-financing from the Directorate General of Fisheries of the European Commission. The workshop was attended by 23 participants, gathering fishers (5), representatives of fishermen and scientists and was chaired by Tony Hawkins, from Loughline Ltd, Scotland, and a member of ESUSG/FWG.

The workshop came about as a result of earlier discussions at a meeting of the FWG on the application of an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management where concern was expressed at the poor progress in adopting an ecosystem-based approach.  Although the need for this approach had been accepted by politicians and fishery managers, its adoption had become bogged down in discussions over ecological indicators and ecosystem science.  A more pragmatic, less theoretical approach was required.  It was proposed that a workshop should be held, involving practical fishers, to look at the obstacles which stood in the way of achieving more sustainable fisheries.

The Workshop examined 12 case studies of good fishing practice from around the coasts of Europe, looking for indications of those factors which can result in fisheries being managed in a sustainable way.

Examples of case studies:

Tom Brown , of Kent and Essex Sea Fisheries Committee (KESFC), England, provided the first example of sustainable practice: a device to allow young lobsters to escape from pots.

Anders Jelmert from the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research at Flødevigen is working on shrimp stock assessment.

Michel Goujon , of the Comité National de Peches (CNPMEM), in France, described improvements in the selectivity of the Bay of Biscay Nephrops fishery with regard to small sized Nephrops and juvenile hake.

Spike Searle , Invest in Fish South West, Newlyn, England, discussed the closure of fishing grounds at Trevose Head off the northern Cornish coast

The main conclusions from the workshop were the following:

• Where initiatives are being taken to promote sustainability it is important to involve fishers from the start.
• The acceptance of voluntary or agreed conservation measures represents a major investment by fishers.  They are accepting increased costs and reduced catches now in the hope that a more sustainable fishery will bring benefits in the future. 
• Some participants remarked upon the difficulty in persuading member states to work together to resolve local management problems and promote sustainability.  The tendency of member states to seek derogations for their own fishers was especially deplored. There is scope for increased cooperation between the fishers and management bodies of different member states in resolving issues of sustainability in particular areas.
• Many of the examples of the adoption sustainable fishing practices came from inshore waters and resulted from the activities of local management organisations which included fishers as participants.  Fishers are often reluctant to adopt voluntary measures and prefer to do so within a management framework which can ensure that measures are universally adopted and then enforced.  They also appreciate the assistance with funding and technical help which may be available within a local management structure. 
• Conservation and biodiversity initiatives including proposals for marine protected areas and for national marine parks are coming forward in many countries.  The initial fears of some fishers have been allayed by a clear desire on the part of nature conservation agencies to involve fishers, and to aim for fisheries which are economically and socially sustainable as well as meeting ecological objectives.  The conservation agencies will need to address these fears and include fishers in their discussions.
• It is evident that there is strong pressure for the introduction of more sustainable management regimes within coastal waters; not only to make the fisheries more sustainable but also to achieve biodiversity and nature conservation objectives and to accommodate other users of coastal resources.  This pressure is pointing to the need for appropriately structured coastal management organisations. 
• The Workshop resulted in a suggestion that a European Inshore Fisheries Forum is required to consider this question and to make recommendations for further action with respect to the management of inshore fisheries under the Common Fisheries Policy.

June 2006. Eva Valle is Project Officer at the European Bureau for Conservation & Development: eva.valleebcd.org

Sustainable, June 2006, contents page