Securing ocean space for the sustainable development of small-scale fisheries

Abstract

Coastal small-scale fishing (SSF) communities increasingly face an untenable competition for ocean space, while it is recognized securing SSF access to marine resources is key for their sustainable development. Can preferential access areas (PAAs)—a relatively understudied policy tool—address this tension? We provide the first global review of the status and importance of PAAs and offer a research agenda for the future. While 44 countries have established a total of 63 PAAs worldwide they only cover an aggregate 3% of continental shelf area. Yet, if appropriately enforced through shared governance with SSFs, these small coastal areas could provide millions of people with a sustainable future. This would require a shift in perception of PAAs as a “line of defense” against large-scale fishers and instead as “preferential stewardship areas,” where small-scale fishers have increased user rights, and can find incentives to fish responsibly for nutrition security, economic, and social development.