Fishing for Compliance – Including Fishers in the Policy-making Process

Marine policy-making is generally still a top-down process in most parts of the world. This might lead to reduced compliance with imposed rules by fishers for a number of reasons: policies might be perceived as limiting and... [ view full abstract ]

Marine policy-making is generally still a top-down process in most parts of the world. This might lead to reduced compliance with imposed rules by fishers for a number of reasons: policies might be perceived as limiting and impractical, and further, psychological factors like pride also plays a role in the adoption of new frameworks. These factors have been explored in interviews from 2014-2016 with Japanese offshore longline fishermen in the port of Kesennuma, the biggest landing port for the Japanese shark fishery and a hub for Pacific tuna and billfish species.

Outcomes include that compliance was generally high amongst Japanese fishers, yet some of them reported modifying tools and measures they received from government officials to match their needs better. The majority expressed desire to be included in the decision-making process and presented their own ideas regarding increasing the sustainability of their fishery, including seasonal closures, MPAs, size limits and other measures that are currently not implemented by the Japanese government. It can be concluded that including fishers in the process can not only increase compliance, but also practicability of policies in the field and promote further measures that are currently not being considered.