Actions

Task 2.1. To identify and catalogue the degree of representation and involvement of the SSFS in industry bodies and ACs. This Action will be adopted following a case-study methodology, taking into account a selection of case studies representatives of the south-western waters.

The consortium will propose indicators to assess the extent of participation of the SSFS in: public bodies and private organizations and initiatives.

In the case of involvement in public bodies, indicators will attempt to measure the degree of participation in the ACs in terms, for example, of number of small scale stakeholders in relation to the total membership; assistance to AC meetings; presentation of working documents, etc.; other type of indicators will attempt to identify the number of proposals presented by the small scale sector and tracking it along the advisory and decision-making process in order to establish whether or not these proposals have been taken into account and reflected in the legislation. Involvement in private organizations and initiatives will be assessed in terms of participation in the membership of private organizations and initiatives e.g. LIFE; participation in fisheries projects attempting to improve sustainability (either with own funding or other funding).

In general, the consortium will attempt to identify the degree of proactivity of the small scale fishing sector in the advisory process and to identify the causes of success or failure. A traditional e-mail survey, and face to face interviews with stakeholders will be use to get knowledge on the proposed set of indicators.

Deliverable 2.1. A Traffic Light Approach Matrix (TLAM) including a set of indicator to evaluate the degree of involvement in public bodies and private organizations. The TLAM is explained in the methodology subsection.

Task 3.1. The Action 3 will promote the exchange of experiences (both successful and non-successful) across case studies in south-western waters: (i) to set up and/or further strength of organization ensuring appropriate representation of SSFS, and (ii) to improve or facilitate the involvement of the SSFS in decision taken process. With this aim, the project will analyze the set of driving forces – including the management model itself together with other external factors –which influence the fishermen´s behavior across the selected case studies. This task will be completed by organizing focus groups with stakeholders. A comparative methodology, based on qualitative data collected through focus groups, is then suggested to be developed. Lists of existing management models applied in south-westerns waters will be analyzed against a typology of co-management between government and stakeholders and by considering all the external socio-economic driving forces (e.g. biological status of the stocks, competition, price levels, etc.).

Deliverable 3.1. A Good Practices guideline will be provided for more comprehensive involvement of the SSFS in the advisory and decision-making process. It is the project’s aim to find and propose specific actions for future SSFs management under a workable co-management system, which contribute to the broader consolidation and involvement of the bodies and organizations representing SSFS.

 

Task 3.2. Gap analysis. Having identified a set of good practices a gap analysis will be conducted to identify gaps in the institutional, legal apparatus and SSFS organizations that may impede consecution of the objective of moving towards a broader involvement of SSFS in decision process, and setting up and/or further strengthening of SSFS bodies and organizations. Measures to bridge those gaps will be discussed.

To a lesser extent, the eventual creation of a Small Scale AC (beyond the geographical scope of the south-western waters) will be discussed in order to gather evidence from stakeholders. This information constitutes an important element of analysis that could be employed as input further studies and projects with a wider geographical scope (EU level). Similarly, discussions about the role of SSFS in the future new AC about markets will be also promote.

Deliverable 3.2. Report on gaps in the institutional and legal apparatus for a broader involvement of SSFS in decision process.

Task. 4.1. The project should identify and catalogue already existing networks specifically related to small-scale fishermen or broader maritime (fishermen) networks with SSFS involvement. Indicators will attempt to measure the degree of participation in the networks through using, the information traffic, the number of regional or local cooperation projects, the number of good practices adopted, the exchange of experiences, etc.

Deliverable 4.1. Database of networks including SSFS.

Task 4.2. The project will also explore the SSFS involvement in new specifically SSFS related networks, or even in broader maritime networks. Moreover the project will also explore the necessity of promoting and even creating a new fishermen open network in south-westerns waters. The project will identify the main goals to reach when promoting these modified and/or new networks trying to overcome the problems of the current institutional model according to the input from the analysis within Action 2 (e.g. fishermen should be acknowledged as environmental managers taking part in long-term management plans, among others).

Task 5.1. To prepare a brochure describing the aims of the project, this will be distributed in events concerning fisheries in the EU.

Deliverable 5.1. Brochure of the project

Task 5.2. A one day first seminar will be organized and conducted to present the results of the first half of the project. These results will include the map of the SSF organizations and the assessment of the degree of involvement of SSF organization in the private and public institutional fabric and especially in ACs. The seminar will provide in-depth information about the SSFs governance challenges in the selected case studies in south-western waters. A static photograph of the current institutional model to manage SSFs will be presented.

The minutes on the first seminar (Deliverable 5.2) will be distributed to the invited participants. Presentations will be prepared in order to present the results.

The target group of the first seminar will be conformed by representatives of the SSFS in the different countries from south-western waters.

Deliverable 5.2. Minutes of the first seminar of the project

Task 5.3.  A second seminar will be conducted to present the results of the second half of the project. These results include the good practice study, the gap analysis and the assessment of the feasibility to create a new AC for SSF.

A High Level Round Table (HLRT) will also be organized with part of the stakeholders attending the second seminar within the Action 6 tasks but also including policy makers from the three countries if possible. However, The HLRT will be dedicated to a discussion with the participants in order to evaluate consequences of the findings for policy making, and elaborate recommendations. A set of SSFs modified or new management models will be tested with stakeholders and particular in relation to how management responsibilities can be delegated to SSFS stakeholders.

Deliverable 5.3. Minutes of the final seminar of the project and the High Level Round Table.

Task 5.4. At least two articles will be published in specialized media with high impact on SSFs, providing the results of the intermediate and final seminars.

Deliverables 5.4. At least two articles to be published in specialized media.

Task 5.5. A Web page will be created to act not only as a dissemination tool but also as a platform for interaction and coordination with stakeholders. This web page would show to the public in general the importance in terms of healthy food providing of the SSFS, as well as the low exosystemic impact of this fisheries if compare with industrial fisheries. Other media resources will be used (e.g. Twitter, etc.). The web page could include or could be linked to the already existing virtual observatory of artisanal fisheries (http://www.itsasnet.com/category/pesca/observatorio-de-pesca-artesanal/) as a web-based collaborative work-space to contribute to the permanent communication between fishermen.

Deliverables 5.5. Web page.

Task 6.1. Conclusions and general recommendations. The development of a High Level Round Table (HLRT) to reach final conclusions on scenarios for decentralization and better involvement of SSFS in decision process.

This task summarizes the case-study based inputs obtained through the combination of already developed desk-analysis and consultations with stakeholders (Actions 1 to 5) to investigate the need, aspiration and capabilities for a more participatory model of SSFs in management in south-westerns waters. A HLRT (in combination with the final seminar) will be organized to analyze the important capabilities required in a broader involvement process (financial resources to take over responsibility for management procedures, and/or professional skills, for example) and to explore scenarios under which it would be possible to facilitate a broader involvement of SSFS in decision process.

The participants in the HLRT will in advance receive relevant background to benefit the discussion during the HLRT. A SWOT analysis will allow to produce outcomes in terms of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats on how in practice to introduce a broader representation of SSFS in decision taken process.

Deliverable 6.1. Report on scenarios for a broader impact of the SCFS in governance structures in south-western waters and further steps.