The Step Zero for Implementing the Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Abstract

While global in scope, the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines) have a strong orientation towards developing countries, especially with their focus on food security and poverty alleviation. Stakeholder consultations during the development phase, for instance, took place predominantly in developing countries, and none were held in Canada or the USA. Implementing the SSF Guidelines in developed countries may therefore be challenging, given also that the small-scale fisheries sector receives relatively little attention from governments compared to its large-scale counterpart. As in other cases, however, an understanding of what conditions and development may foster the implementation of the guidelines is imperative to gauge the feasibility and likelihood of success. Such knowledge can also serve as a starting point to engage fishers, governments and other stakeholders in a discussion about what they can draw from the SSF Guidelines to promote sustainability and viability of small-scale fisheries in their areas. We explore these questions in the context of small-scale fisheries in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada, where small-scale fisheries remain active, despite the cod fishery moratorium in 1992. Through a literature review, interviews, discussion sessions and community events, we gather information about various aspects of small-scale fisheries in NL and discuss the extent to which they may contribute to the successful implementation of the SSF Guidelines in this province. The chapter concludes with implementation challenges and ways forward.