Regions at sea: the administrative region as a base for an alternative fisheries management system for Spain

Abstract

The paper describes an alternative management system for Spain's highly diverse fishing industry, involving a high degree of territorial decentralisation and the devolution of management responsibilities to professional organisations. Although such a system would fit well with the prevailing structures of a regionalised state with the Autonomous Communities assuming administrative responsibility for a wide range of regulatory functions, a number of problems are identified, including the possible loss of cohesion for Spain's fishing industry on the international scene and potential resistances to change from within the administrative system and the existing professional organisations alike.