‘It’s how you catch the fish’: debates on ecolabelling, yield thinking, and care in Denmark

Abstract

Since the second half of the 20th century, Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) has been the guiding principle of fisheries management, focused on reaching sustainability through bioeconomic modelling and harvest regulations. MSY has allowed managers to set Total Allowable Catch levels for target species with further implications for various forms of catch share programs. In this article, we employ a feminist ethic of care approach and literature on local environmental stewardship to analyze the case of a Danish environmental organization trying to introduce another dimension to fisheries management grounded on the concept of care and collective responsibility. The case includes two related attempts of establishing ecolabelling schemes for small-scale fisheries focused on a concept of careful/gentle fishing. Through the case study, we trace how a management focus on yield hinders the care perspective but also engenders forms of local and national resistance.