The Atlantic Arc concept : a step towards more cooperation and less conflict among european fishermen ? / Le concept d’Arc Atlantique : une étape vers plus de coopération et moins de conflits entre les pêcheurs européens ?

Abstract

The fishing industry in Europe has been subjected to a range of national, international and, under the EU's Common Fisheries Policy, supranational systems of management. With overfishing still rife and conflict between fishermen commonplace, none of these systems has yet provided a political-geographical structure within which fishery resources are effectively managed. Therefore, the idea of devolving greater management responsibility to regional or local bodies such as Producer's Organisations (POs) is gaining ground. This paper introduces an additional regional dimension into the debate by examining whether the transnational "Atlantic Arc" concept has the potential to facilitate greater cooperation and less conflict among rival national groups of fishermen operating off the EU's western shores.