’The force of the better argument?’ Azorean small-scale fishers’ agency and participation in advisory councils

Abstract

Participatory governance is an increasing norm in European Fisheries, however policy making strategies have been driven by bio-economic models that ascribe top priority to the biological and economic research domains. Governance structures fall short on moving from inclusive narratives and discourses to effective and genuinely participatory practices and a continuing tension exists, and has remained unchanged for the last four decades, between participatory democracy and expert authority. The UN has stressed the role of small-scale fisheries as catalysts for sustainable development and reported the need for a shift in the way decision making bodies operate through a clear legislative framework for full participation of community organizations as stewards in marine resource management. This paper aims to reflect on the role fishing communities play in fisheries policy making. Building from a sociological perspective and an ethnographic approach to the agency and political participation of Azorean small-scale fisher’s associations in advisory councils (at the regional and European level) it will explore the existing tensions between the power of science and scientific advice and the influence of fishers’ knowledges and perspectives. (1) How do regional and EU fisheries systems, and specifically stakeholder advisory councils, provide arenas for a transformative and emancipatory potential of fishers’ agency towards change? (2) How are fishers, civil society actors, policy makers/managers and scientists involved in multi-actors contexts and processes of decision making? (3) What perspectives and representations do they have on fishing issues and the way they should be managed? Which underlying understandings, images and assumptions have been directing the policy and research agenda?