Commentary

Interactive Governance for Small-Scale Fisheries

“…Cultural relationships and social norms are embodied in kastom. 1 Many aspects of kastom have proven resilient to external pressure from colonization, Christianity, ethnic confl ict and international development agendas even where these have acted to undermine traditional arrangements (Ruddle 1994(Ruddle , 1998Hviding 1998 ). Kastom and associated customary tenure can both foster and hinder resource management and rural development (Hviding 1998 ), and remain critical dimensions of the governability of small-scale fi sheries in the Pacifi c and Solomon Islands.…”

“…In most situations the national and provincial governments have relatively little direct involvement in these management efforts, in part because their capacity has been prohibitively low. Yet, in the last 5 years several national level, government-led policies have sought to capitalize on this emergent model by (1) explicitly recognizing and promoting community-based, comanagement as a principle, national approach for resource management and rural development, and (2) creating and investing in mechanisms (e.g., governance networks) to coordinate the 'partner' agencies involved, and to improve alignment with national policies and strengthen relationships with government agencies to build and supplement their capacity (discussed further in section " Can community based management of small-scale fi sheries infl uence, and be infl uenced by, higher scales of governance and learning? ").…”

“…Finally, governability involves asking whether governance processes and outcomes are aligned with universal meta-order values and standards, such as those stated in the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (FAO 1995 ) and the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (or SSF Guidelines) recently adopted (June 2014) by member states of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 1 These multiple facets of the governance system taken together are what a governability assessment would focus on in order to identify where governance interventions are required and where opportunities for improving governability exist. Such an assessment would also reveal the appropriateness of the particular mode of governance, given the context of small-scale fi sheries that are the focus of governance.…”

“…It is for this reason that the FAO member states in June 2014 endorsed the "Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication", hereafter "SSF Guidelines". 1 The guidelines speak primarily to national governments, who are urged to take greater responsibility for the livelihoods and sustainable development of small-scale fi sheries through targeted policy initiatives, followed by legal and organizational reform and economic support.…”

“…In contrast, fi sheries management and increasingly EAFM is routinely part of the fi sheries and marine conservation dialogue (Foale et al 2013 ). EAFM clearly has a place as best practice fi sheries management, however the disproportionate preoccupation we encountered in the region on improving management (EAFM or other- 1 We defi ne 'sustainable fi sh stocks' as stocks that exist at levels of abundance which safeguards their ongoing existence, maintains high surplus production, and supports high catch rates and favorable economic return. By 'depleted stocks' we mean stocks that have, through over-fi shing, lost these characteristics.…”