MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS FOR SMALL-SCALE FISHERIES: ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ASPECTS
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MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS FOR SMALL-SCALE FISHERIES: ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ASPECTS |
| FAO Fisheries Technical PaperNo. 228 | FIPP/T228 (En) |
MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS FOR SMALL-SCALE FISHERIES: ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ASPECTS
by
Theodore Panayotou
Faculty of Economics
Kasetsart University
Bangkok 9, Thailand
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
M-43
ISBN 92-5-101279-2
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Director, Publications Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Rome 1982
© FAO
This document has been prepared as part of FAO's Regular Programme activities, aimed at assisting fishery administrators and other persons responsible for the management of fisheries. It is the fifth in a series of technical papers relating to the PRACTICES OF FISHERIES MANAGEMENT.
Dr. Theodore Panayotou is currently with the Agricultural Development Council attached to the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand, as visiting Professor of Resource Economics and Food Policy Specialist.
In writing this paper I have benefited from the comments and suggestions of many people. Special acknowledgements go to Dr. J.-P. Troadec, former Chief of the FAO Fishery Development Planning Service (FIPP), who provided me with many valuable comments and suggestions, many of which he will recognize in the present version. I would also like to acknowledge helpful comments from Dr. F.T. Christy, Dr. C.H. Newton, Mr. J.-L. Gaudet, Mr. J. Cortez, all of FIPP, FAO; from Mr. M. Ben-Yami and J. Johnson of the FAO Fishery Industry and Technology Service (FII); from Dr. J. Gulland and Dr. S.M. Garcia of the FAO Fishery Resource Management Service (FIRM); and from Dr. Hooker of the South China Sea Fisheries Development and Coordinating Programme. I have also benefited from discussions with Drs. I.R. Smith, D. Pauly and C. Baily of the International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM), Mr. Kachornsak of the Department of Fisheries in Thailand, and Mr. Demetropoulos of the Department of Fisheries in Cyprus. None of the above, however, should be held responsible for the opinions expressed and any errors committed.
| Distribution: | For bibliographic purpose this document should be cited as follows: |
| FAO Fisheries Department FAO Regional Fisheries Officers Directors of Fisheries Selector SM Author |
Panayotou, T., 1982 Management concepts for small-scale fisheries: economic and social aspects. FAO Fish.Tech.Pap., (228): 53 p. |
| ABSTRACT |
This paper provides an analytical framework for the management
and development of coastal small-scale fisheries in developing
countries. In a brief review the basic management concepts
developed for single-species fisheries are presented and their appropriateness
is examined for the management and development of
small-scale multi-species fisheries. Apart from the higher biological
complexity of multi-species fisheries the traditional management
concepts also need refinement for socio-economic reasons. The
paper describes the constraints under which many small-scale
fishermen operate, viz., resource limitation, conflicts with large-scale
fisheries, lack of geographical and occupational mobility and
lack of alternative employment opportunities. These constraints may
temporarily call for higher levels of fishing effort than justifiable
from a pure economic efficiency point of view. Still, any long-term
improvements in the living standard of small-scale fishermen will
necessitate some forms of human intervention, which allocate the
resource between different sections of the fishing industry and in
general limit the expansion of fishing effort to prevent wastage of
capital and human resources. The paper discusses various measures
to regulate fishing effort in small-scale fisheries, viz., selectivity of
gear; seasonal and area closures; catch quotas; limits on the
number of fishing units, on the quantity of gear, or on the catching
capacity of vessels; economic controls such as taxes, royalties or
licence fees; and resource allocation through territorial rights. The
choice among these management alternatives should be based on a
set of criteria which include: acceptance by the fishermen, gradual
implementation, flexibility, encouragement of efficiency and innovation,
full cognizance of regulation and enforcement costs, and
due attention to employment and distributional implications. Owing
to the geographically dispersed nature of artisanal fisherfolk settlements,
the revival and rejuvenation of traditional territorial community
rights over coastal resources offer perhaps the best possible
management option for small-scale fisheries. Instead of attempting
to control fishing directly, such rights aim at creating a conducive
environment of self-control by the fishermen themselves. The paper
concludes with a presentation of some examples of traditional
territorial fishing rights in Brazil, Japan, Sri Lanka and Ivory Coast. |
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