Abstract
The EU envisions itself as a global leader in sustainable fisheries governance. This paper explores how two key policies seek to implement these aspirations internationally – the Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported (IUU) regulation and the Sustainable Fishing Partnership Agreements (SFPAs). We draw on case studies in Thailand and Senegal to examine the specific mechanisms through which the EU influences fisheries governance beyond its territory, respectively through the IUU regulation and SFPAs. Drawing on normative power literature, we argue that the EU utilises network and market modes of governance to translate normative environmental values into third country regulations as part of dialogue and negotiation processes. In particular, we expand on the functioning of the network mode of governance by looking at how the EU has used socialisation and partnership approaches to promote certain values during its dialogues with both countries. In Thailand, the EU helped promote fisheries reform through its IUU yellow card mechanism, but its influence has at times been criticised as too directive. Meanwhile, the latest iteration of the EU’s bilateral fishing relations with Senegal under the new SFPA scheme shows promising improvement compared to previous versions, but remains complicated by the two countries’ relative power imbalance. Overall, our paper seeks to enrich the engagement of fisheries governance literature with questions of EU relations with third countries. Our two case studies demonstrate how exploring the functioning of normative aspects is significant particularly because the advancement of sustainability in global fisheries depends on concrete, historically complex, and multilaterally constructed power relations.
Highlights
The European Union (EU) has long functioned as a key power in sustainable global ocean governance [8]
Our paper draws on insights from two separately conceived and conducted original research projects, each based on a distinct case study: Marine Policy 132 (2021) 104656 the first, an examination of the EU’s IUU measures in Thailand and the second, a study into the EU’s Sustainable Fishing Partnership Agreements (SFPAs) relations with Senegal
The normative power analysis we propose in this paper consists of three steps: we examine, first, the norm-oriented aspirations of the EU; second, the different mechanisms through which the EU advances these aspirations in its external fisheries relations; and third, the specific iterations of these mechanisms and their relative success respectively through the IUU Regulation in Thailand and the SFPA in Senegal
Summary
The European Union (EU) has long functioned as a key power in sustainable global ocean governance [8] Through both rhetoric and policy instruments, it has sought to frame itself as a responsible and progressive actor in fisheries governance [2,57]. This paper examines how the EU exercises and translates normative power in its external fisheries policy through two key policy mecha nisms: Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported (IUU) fishing measures and Sustainable Fishing Partnership Agreements (SFPAs). Alongside the EU’s participation in RFMOs and other international organisations, as well as its wider efforts in trade and tariff setting, both policies have been framed by the European Commission and DG MARE as pillars of its aspirations to shape global ocean governance as “a driving force of sustainable fisheries and mari time affairs worldwide” ([13], 17). As we observe that the EU’s ‘ways of managing fish’ are woven through fish eries management in both Thailand and Senegal, in our conclusion we call for more in-depth studies on the detailed dialogue regarding fish eries agreements between the EU and third countries
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