Reconstructing overfishing: Moving beyond Malthus for effective and equitable solutions

Abstract

Inaccurate or incomplete diagnosis of the root causes of overfishing can lead to misguided and ineffective fisheries policies and programmes. The “Malthusian overfishing narrative” suggests that overfishing is driven by too many fishers chasing too few fish and that fishing effort grows proportionately to human population growth, requiring policy interventions that reduce fisher access, the number of fishers, or the human population. By neglecting other drivers of overfishing that may be more directly related to fishing pressure and provide more tangible policy levers for achieving fisheries sustainability, Malthusian overfishing relegates blame to regions of the world with high population growth rates, while consumers, corporations and political systems responsible for these other mediating drivers remain unexamined. While social–ecological systems literature has provided alternatives to the Malthusian paradigm, its focus on institutions and organized social units often fails to address fundamental issues of power and politics that have inhibited the design and implementation of effective fisheries policy. Here, we apply a political ecology lens to unpack Malthusian overfishing and, relying upon insights derived from the social sciences, reconstruct the narrative incorporating four exemplar mediating drivers: technology and innovation, resource demand and distribution, marginalization and equity, and governance and management. We argue that a more nuanced understanding of such factors will lead to effective and equitable fisheries policies and programmes, by identifying a suite of policy levers designed to address the root causes of overfishing in diverse contexts.

In-Situ Adaptation and Coastal Vulnerabilities in Ghana and Tanzania

“…Furthermore, fisherfolk changing methods were more likely to avoid fish catch decreases than those who adhered to the existing methods. This corroborates Finkbeiner et al.’s (2017) claim that fisherfolk who participate in the exploration and testing of new technologies can increase their effectiveness and practice of sustainable fishing. 7…”

“…Our results show that the reasons for vulnerability emanate from the complex interaction among climatic and nonclimatic factors. Therefore, remediation requires a holistic approach rather than simply restricting access to fishing with the aim of rebuilding depleted fish stocks (Finkbeiner, et al., 2017; Overå, 2011). Despite being under similar vulnerabilities, the results of in-situ adaptation strategies varied between communities and countries.…”

The future of ocean governance

“…Implementing new management plans for the sustainable use of ocean resources requires consideration and coordination of many interacting factors (Jentoft 2000 ; Leslie et al 2015 ; Finkbeiner et al 2017 ). It needs input from academia, industry, governments, civil societies, and markets.…”

“…It needs input from academia, industry, governments, civil societies, and markets. It demands a renewed focus on implementation, through the creation of place-based management (Leenhardt et al 2015 ; Finkbeiner et al 2017 ; Mikalsen and Jentoft 2001 ). Effective place-based management is conditional on the assessment of local conditions.…”

The market and shadow value of informal fish catch: a framework and application to Panama

“…The significant ongoing pressures on marine ecosystems are therefore highly worrisome for fisheries, and can have subsequent impacts on local and national economies (Sumaila et al ., ). Overfishing, economic overcapacity, distributional inequalities, and climate change all contribute to negative impacts on fishing communities (Finkbeiner et al ., ; Pauly et al ., ; Sumaila et al ., ). In terms of marine resource policy outcomes, these pressures are compounded when current management frameworks must deal with missing or uncertain baseline information and statistics regarding fishing efforts, dynamics, and production (Pauly, ; Pauly and Zeller, ; Pitcher et al ., ).…”