Small-scale fisheries, large-scale fisheries and fisheries governance in the Philippines

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article investigates the intersections between two highly significant ocean policy processes: fisheries governance interventions for improved sustainability, and the relationship between small- and large-scale fishers. The focus is on how fisheries governance interventions interact with longstanding tensions between small- and large-scale fishers. The article draws on three examples of contemporary policy debates about fisheries governance in the Philippines: measures against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, closed seasons, and initiatives to re-organise spatial regulations governing fishing access. The article shows how in each case, debates about fisheries governance cannot be separated from the relationships between small and large scale fishers. Small- and large-scale fishers are affected differently by each governance intervention, and responses to this differentiation subsequently influence governance outcomes. The article finds that a key concern for any fisheries governance intervention needs to be assessing the relationships between key stakeholders, how these relationships will be modified by any governance intervention, and how these relational dynamics are likely to affect governance outcomes.