A matter of scales. The management

of marine recreational fisheries

(MRF) in the EU

8th WRFC. Victoria, 16-20 July 2017

PABLO PITA, SEBASTIÁN VILLASANTE, PEDRO GOMES, HARRY STREHLOW,

PEDRO VEIGA, JOSÉ VINGADA, KIERAN HYDER

Background

• Marine Recreational Fisheries (MRF)

management have been traditionally

neglected in favor of commercial fisheries.

• Complex adaptive socioecological

system.

Objectives

• We present a critical review of the current

management that affects MRF in Europe.

• We analyzed how these regulations on MRF

support the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries

(EAF) in different geographic areas.

• We assume that the EAF is a good approach

for the sustainable management of complex

socioecological systems.

Methodology

• Selected EU, national, and regional legislation from

Spain and the UK (Portugal is ongoing, Germany?).

• Westlaw (next), EUR-Lex: e.g., "recreational fishing" or

"sport fishing" or "spear fishing" or "spearfishing" or "rod

and line fishing“ or "marine recreational fishing" or "sport

marine fishing" or "angling".

• Policy Component Scores (PCS) by 5 components:

social, economic, environmental–ecological and

institutional.

• Integrated Policy Legal Index (IPLI) by country (and EU)

was calculated checking 57 criteria: biophysical

attributes, social drivers and attributes of the governance

systems (Castillo et al. 2016).

Results

AdministrationSearch

1 2 Used

Spain 512 32 231

UK 57 197 41

EU 91 31 27

Up to two different search engines and lists of keywords were used

What’s in?

Subject

Administration

Spain United Kingdom European Union

N % N % N %

Coastal activities 5 2.2 1 2.4 3 11.1

Conservation 5 2.2 0 0.0 0 0.0

Disease control 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 3.7

Fish imports 0 0.0 0 0.0 2 7.4

Marine fishing 33 14.3 7 17.1 12 44.4

Minimum sizes 3 1.3 0 0.0 0 0.0

MPA 108 46.8 0 0.0 0 0.0

Navigation 1 0.4 0 0.0 0 0.0

Ports 2 0.9 1 2.4 0 0.0

Public and animal health 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 3.7

Recreational fishing 40 17.3 4 9.8 0 0.0

Restrictions by species 18 7.8 25 61.0 8 29.6

Sports 1 0.4 0 0.0 0 0.0

Transfer fishing

competences13 5.6 0 0.0 0 0.0

Turism 1 0.4 0 0.0 0 0.0

Weapons 1 0.4 0 0.0 0 0.0

Welfare of animals 0 0.0 3 7.3 0 0.0

Total 231 100.0 41 100.0 27 100.0

Word diving

Spain UK EU

Word diving

Zone

(0.87%)

Salmon

(0.88%)

Vessel

(1.53%)

Spain UK EU

Word divingSpain

Word divingSpain

Word divingUK

Word divingUK

Word divingEUzone

Word divingEUzone

PCS and IPLI

IPLI=0.88

IPLI=0.80

IPLI=0.87

Are these legal frameworks suited for sustainable

management of common resources in complex

adaptive socioecological environments?

• Shortcomings

– Castillo et al. (2016) approach developed for freshwater.

– EAF developed for commercial fisheries.

– Adaptive management needs precautionary approach and

resilience.

• High IPLI in general.

• Social sustainability is not a priority.

• Spain: higher IPLI, many regulations.

• UK: lower IPLI, specially in social component.

• EU: good balance, but covering a few species

(migratory, endangered).

Thank you!

Email: pablo.pita@usc.es