Fisheries conflicts as drivers of social transformation

Abstract

• Conflict is present in fisheries – marine and inland – in all regions of the world. • Fisheries conflicts emerge from, amongst other things, systemic social inequalities. • Conflicts can provide windows of opportunity for social transformations. • Existing fisheries-related institutions are called to engage in a conflict transformation approach. • There is a room for further research on the dynamics of fisheries conflicts. Fisheries social-ecological systems regularly experience conflicts. In many regions of the world, the way conflicts are dealt with may lead to social transformation resulting from changes in tenure rights. This analysis is focused on the many types of fisheries tenure, access and user rights and reveals that some sort of conflict is present in the majority of them. In the fisheries sector, the primary institutions tasked with conflict resolution are public fisheries management authorities and/or the legal system. We argue that the type of conflict and the chosen conflict resolution strategy have an important role in determining how the fishery and its participants evolve in the future. We highlight the importance of conflicts as triggers of social transformation and discuss the role of institutions in this transition. We present a conflict transformation approach that helps frame the path for transformations that are democratic and entail the balanced representation and participation of all stakeholders.