Major trends in small-scale marine fisheries, with emphasis on developing countries, and some implications for the social sciences
Pauly, D. (2006). Major trends in small-scale marine fisheries, with emphasis on developing countries, and some implications for the social sciences. Marit. Stud. 4(2): 47-51
In: Maritime Studies. Springer: Amsterdam. ISSN 2212-9790; e-ISSN 2212-9790, more
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| Abstract |
The competition between large, industrial, and small-scale fisheries inthe face of growing resource scarcity has led, in most parts of the world, to increased marginalisation of small-scale fisheries. However, the natural role of social scientists, who, given their expertise, should be informing mitigating activities, is often usurped by biologists and/or economists, as demonstrated here through a Google-based analysis. It is argued that this is based on social scientists: (1) neglecting in their field work key variables, such as catch levels, important to any understanding of fisheries; and (2) often conducting and reporting on locale-specific field work without attempting broader (and admittedly risky) generalisations -- the elements of a ‘model’ -- that are imperative for actual policymaking. The former claim is illustrated with an example from the South Pacific, and it is shown that one result of current practices is the further marginalisation of small-scale fishers. The latter claim is illustrated with an example of a general model, which contextualises and thus explains a wide variety of phenomena related to migration within and into the small-scale fishing sector. An application of this ‘Malthusian overfishing model’ to the rebuilding efforts following the Asiantsunami of December 2004 is then presented. Finally, the case is made that despite their present problems, the small-scale fisheries of the world, suitably governed, are still our best hope for sustainable utilisation of coastal resources. |
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