Syracuse

Navigating Institutional Change in the French Atlantic Fishing Sector: How Do Artisanal Fishers Obtain and Secure Fishing Opportunities?

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Kinds, Arne | Bugeja-Said, Alicia | Speelman, Stijn | Guyader, Olivier

Edité par CCSD -

International audience. French fisheries management emphasizes the collective management of fisheries resources and the non-transferability of fishing opportunities (quotas and licenses) as measures to prevent concentration and protect artisanal fisheries. However, in practice access problems are common, and researchers and fisheries managers have raised concerns regarding concentration and the disappearance of the so-called ‘artisanal fishing model’. Using literature and interview data, we reflect on the French fisheries management system, asking whether it can be considered ‘just’ for artisanal fishers. In this chapter, we (1) describe the French fisheries management system, with an emphasis on the allocation and redistribution of fishing opportunities, (2) explore how it is perceived and experienced by artisanal fishers in the Atlantic fishing sector, and (3) analyze how they have adapted to cope with institutional changes. This study shows that the quota allocation system has created significant entry barriers for artisanal fishers, notably new entrants and small-scale producers, which has contributed to a shift away from family-based fishing and towards expansion. Government policies aimed at bringing more justice to the system have failed. Nevertheless, some artisanal fishers seem to be finding new ways to anchor themselves in local economies and launch their businesses into an unsure future, both through bottom-up initiatives and partnerships with large-scale fishing companies.

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