Fisheries management is an issue that draws out conflicting responses about the role of the state, the market and civil society over the management of natural resources. For instance, there is Garett Hardins paper on the tragedy of the commons, which like many economists, perceive the lack of clear cut property rights as being at the root of the problem. Marine resources exhibit a lot of characteristics of other natural commons, and economists tend to think of depletion of stock in terms of the overexploitation that comes with the free rider problem. Since it does not make sense for an individual to act to conserve a common resource because the benefits in the short term are much better, creating a conflict of interests between the rational individual and what seems rational for the community. On the other hand, there are several marine ecologists who have started to appreciate how several traditional peoples have used their resources without depleting them. Some have even been able to show that they have been able to be sustainable because of the presence of several common property institutions.
The governance of fisheries - the sum of the legal, social, economic and political arrangements used to manage fisheries, has international, national and local dimensions. It includes legally binding rules, such as national legislation or international treaties, and it relies on customary social arrangements as well as on the respective national framework provided for all economic activities. In this context, Rights First discusses the international commitments entered into by nations under the aegis of the FAO, to solve the twin problems of fisheries resource management maintaining species at sustainable levels, while ensuring the livelihoods of those who depend on these resources. Since the international commitments take into account the peculiar characteristics of developing nations, compliance is voluntary. The regulatory framework on fishing in India is also discussed. In the absence of any direction to a policy on fisheries management in spite of the several committees constituted for the purpose, some suggestions for a possible framework for policy have also been provided, along with a short description of the merits of a rights based management system.
- Rights First Editorial Team |