International Governance of Fisheries Ecosystems: Learning from the Past, Finding Solutions for the Future

Preface: Global Governance and Challenges of Contemporary Fisheries Ecosystems

doi: https://doi.org/10.47886/9781888569995.fmatter

The challenges presented by fisheries ecosystems to the management and governance of fisheries have intensified owing to the increasing number of interactions among diverse user groups relying on aquatic ecosystems as well as the growth in fisheries complexity. This growth is partly associated with the acceleration of globalization, which has been enhanced by advancements in transportation and communication technology (Taylor et al. 2007a). Historically, human population size, their proximity to water, and technology limited the diversity and number of users that could access fisheries resources. As technological advancements enhanced the capacity and effectiveness of fishing vessels and fishing gear, fisheries resources, both near and far, were exploited by an increasing number of users each exerting unprecedented pressure on the resource. Fisheries that transcended a single country’s waters or fishing fleet posed particular challenges to sustainability, management and governance, a phenomenon underscored by the Food and Agriculture Organization’s State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture reports (e.g., FAO 2006). Developments in fisheries governance, however, have not matched the advancements observed in fisheries management, such as the evolution from a single fish stock focus to a more ecosystem based management approach. Furthermore, fisheries governance has not been able to meet either existing or new challenges to fisheries sustainability, as illustrated by the dismal state of most fisheries (FAO 2006). Indeed, most fisheries governance appears to have applied the ‘traditional’ governance approach that relies heavily on state sovereignty and local control rather than effective cooperative inter-jurisdictional governance; resulting in unsustainable fisheries.