The professionals of the fisheries sector are aware of the fact that "many fishing resources are over-exploited or are at critical levels of exploitation..." A few fishermen have implemented or are still looking for ways to manage and conserve resources. They outline such methods in collaboration with their partners. These "constructive experiments" deserve our attention.

The measures taken by fishermen in order to solve the problem of management of resources always pertain to a specific context. They take into consideration a number of factors such as: fishing zones, fleet, techniques used, seasons, customs, markets. Their success is often guaranteed by an agreement among all parties of the organisation or the sub-organisation in case the initiative has been taken at a local level. Administrative bodies such as the research institutes or the training centres also provide concrete support. Successful experiments are fortunately on the increase.

The trawl net which is often quoted as an example of destructive fishing, is the subject of many studies conducted by the research institutes in order to increase their selectivity. A few studies have already yielded results and have been adopted by professionals. In the United Kingdom, the "square mesh" is already being used by trawlers. In Brittany, in France, the decision regarding the use of "lophius mesh" is being finalised by the researchers of Ifremer in close collaboration with a producer’s organisation. These two techniques help in reducing considerably the catches of younger fishes which are thrown back into the sea as they cannot be sold. Unfortunately, the development of these machines involves a lot of time; almost five years for the "lophius mesh". It is therefore essential to encourage exchange of experiences. The fishermen easily adapt and adopt a selective technique or a conservation measure if its characteristics suit them.

In search of sustainable fishing

The French and Irish fishermen are good examples. Even though the technique of crustacean pots is a selective fishing technique, it did not ensure preservation of resources. In one case, the number of pots in one boat had increased but the catches did not match this increase. The commission in charge of crustacean fishing of the Regional Committee of Fishing in Brittany recorded the number as 2400 pots embarked on a single boat! So they decided to look out for ideas on the Eastern coast of the US and Canada where the crustacean fishing community have been implementing various methods of management and conservation of lobster stocks. The excellent results of these fishermen inspired their fellow fishermen working on the European coast. After study, the Irish decided to introduce a conservation measure based on marking crustaceans bearing eggs. Each fish thus marked was banned for sale and this helped to pile up a considerable stock of protected female fishes in a short time. The French adopted the system of numbering the pots so as to control the number of pots per boat. Since January 1997, it is mandatory for all pots to bear a number tag and they cannot exceed 200 per crew member with a ceiling of 1000 per boat, and having facilities to keep track of small fishing units of two men with 600 pots.

Each partner has a role to play. The research institutes have to guarantee the need for conservation measures and their positive effects on resources, the training centres have to assess the objectives and advantages of sustainable fishing, the administrative body has to encourage such initiatives and lastly, the professionals have to adapt and adopt responsible methods of fishing. It is important to work together with the professionals in search of viable solutions for the preservation of fishing resources. Similarly, it is indispensable to collaborate between the partners of the North and the South in order to maintain an equilibrium for sustenance of communities associated with the sea.

Alexis Fossi* (France-Portugal)
Marine biologist,
[Address: Travessa Santo Ildefonso 3-3°E, 1200 Lisbonne, Portugal.
Tél.: (351-1) 395 11 62 - Fax: (351-1) 352 49 66. E-mail: fossi@ip.pt]

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"Fishermen are most enraged by injustice, the extreme difficulty of making a living from fishing. The Spanish used to catch 60,000 tons of halibuts or turbots per year, and now their quota has been reduced to 18,000. Naturally, they're furious! Tempers flare between reed fishermen and net fishermen when the latter, who have the right to use nets of 2.5 kilometres arrive with nets of 5 to 7 kilometres. And instead of trying to resolve the disagreement peacefully, there are fist fights, boats are burnt. It is the expression of the social anger of these men, who have realised that, on land, the people who are in charge of resolving their problems adopt stands that are demagogic, vote-seeking." Michel Josie, fisherman, Basque region, France