Governing the Governance: Small-Scale Fisheries in Europe with Focus on the Baltic Sea

Abstract

‘Governing the governance’ refers to the overarching values and interests on which governing institutions are built and operate relative to small-scale fisheries. Who are these values representing and how consistent are institutional settings with respect to them? How effective are existing institutions for accommodating diverse values in their governing practices? This chapter explores the governance system and experiences of small-scale fisheries in the Baltic Sea, particularly in the context of the European Union (EU) Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). We focus on the EU governing system and its relation with the values and interests of small-scale fisheries and the organizations representing them, and evaluate the scope for the governability of small-scale fisheries in the Baltic Sea. Our chapter use the case of fishers’ representation in the EU Baltic Sea Advisory Council for this purpose and discusses the consequences of a missing link between small-scale coastal fisheries’ values and the overarching EU fisheries governance system regulated by the CFP. Finally, we explore how this missing linkage might change under current regional and local initiatives to support small-scale fisheries in Europe, and conclude on the governability and transdisciplinary challenges this shift may entail.