The Role of Fishery Co-operatives in Coastal Fisheries Management

Abstract

Community based approaches to management of coastal fisheries through fishery co-operatives may offer important opportunities. This is shown in the successes achieved in Japan and other countries. In order to play their role, fishery co-operatives need to be socially and economically successful. This inevitable means that they must have been initiated by the fishing communities themselves, the individual fishermen. They need to see the long term benefits of fishery co-operatives and feel the need to join forces. It is a natural step from development of the fisheries and fishery communities to the management of the fisheries. Governments must decentralize the authority over coastal marine areas and initiate programs to provide fishing communities with authority over adjacent resources. Involving fishery co-operatives in management may not be a quick or easy way to success, but it may well be the most effective way.