Fisheries Co-Management in the “Age of the Commons”: Social Capital, Conflict, and Social Challenges in the Aegean Sea

Fishing activity in Greece remains important for the management of marine resources. Fishery co-management, involving various social groups and stakeholders, is considered necessary for marine ecological conservation. Environmental NGOs have acquired valuable expert and scientific knowledge on marin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSustainability Vol. 14; no. 21; p. 14578
Main Authors Fratsea, Loukia-Maria, Papadopoulos, Apostolos G
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.11.2022
Subjects
Commercial fishing
Community
Cultural heritage
Cultural resources
Ecosystems
Environmental economics
Fish industry
Fisheries
Fisheries management
Fishery resources
Fishing
Fishing vessels
Marine ecology
Marine ecosystems
Marine fish
Marine resources
Marine resources management
Natural resource management
Natural resources
Property rights
Protection and preservation
Recessions
Research projects
Resource management
Rural areas
Seals
Social capital
Strategic management
User requirements
Wildlife conservation
Greece
United Kingdom
Europe
Syros
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Summary:Fishing activity in Greece remains important for the management of marine resources. Fishery co-management, involving various social groups and stakeholders, is considered necessary for marine ecological conservation. Environmental NGOs have acquired valuable expert and scientific knowledge on marine ecosystems which is essential for natural resource management. However, such knowledge is often in conflict with the interests of fishers, who often have tacit/lay knowledge which is rarely considered. The aim of this paper is twofold: first, to critically discuss the perceptions of different stakeholders regarding the protection of marine commons, and second, to unveil the potential conflicts in the management of the MPA on Gyaros Island. Gyaros is a cultural heritage monument, home to a colony of Mediterranean monk seals, and a traditional fishing area for adjacent island communities. Methodologically, the paper synthesises the empirical findings of a five-year (2013–2018) research project. Survey material collected over two separate periods (2014 and 2017) from the local population and professional and recreational fishers is combined with rich qualitative material from various stakeholders and participatory research to inform the research objectives. The successful management of MPAs requires that all users contribute to, agree to, and respect the terms of the MPA.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su142114578