UCL Discovery

Abstract

Fishermen in the UK, as in most of the world, have enjoyed the rights to fish the total sea area, with the exception of safety/security exclusion zones, provided stocks are present and it is technically and economically feasible to exploit them. Conservation measures are imposed, such as quotas on certain species, partial/seasonal closures and various technical restrictions. However, all these measures are aimed at fish stock conservation objectives and other than these, the basic presumption has been that all areas can be fished, under the principle of ‘the freedom of the seas’. This presumption is now being undermined by increasing calls for no-take marine protected areas, in which all fishing is banned, primarily in order to achieve marine biodiversity conservation objectives. These proposals raise many issues from the fishing industry’s perspective as they represent a fundamental challenge, through the introduction of marine biodiversity conservation objectives, to access rights decision-making processes. These issues are explored based on a programme of 51 interviews in 2005 with various fishing industry representatives in south-west England, focusing on themes such as justice, identity, knowledges and power relations.