Existing Territories and Formalization of Territorial Use Rights for Moored Fish Aggregating Devices: The Case of Small-Scale Fisheries in the La Désirade Island (France)

Type Article
Date 2018
Language English
Author(s) Guyader OlivierORCID1, Frangoudes Katia2, Kleiber Danika3
Affiliation(s) 1 : Univ Brest, CNRS, UMR 6308, Unite Econ Maritime,IUEM,Ifremer, Plouzane, France.
2 : Univ Brest, CNRS, IFREMER, AMURE,IUEM, Plouzane, France.
3 : JIMAR, PIFSC, Honolulu, HI USA.
Source Society & Natural Resources (0894-1920) (Taylor & Francis Inc), 2018 , Vol. 31 , N. 7 , P. 822-836
DOI 10.1080/08941920.2018.1443235
WOS© Times Cited 5
Keyword(s) Conflicts, dolphinfish, economic defendability, FADs quotas, overcapacity
Abstract

Moored fish aggregating devices (MFADs) are used by small-scale fishers to access fish species difficult to harvest in large numbers. In the case of Guadeloupe (Caribbean area), the use of MFADs has increased considerably and this is causing congestion in these fishing areas and creating conflict between fishers. The aim of this article is to understand how informal fishing territories around the La Desirade Island were established and examine these territories through the lens of economic defendability theory. Results of semistructured interviews show that MFAD fishers display territoriality along MFAD tract lines forming quasi-privatized areas. Territoriality in this article is based on the following factors: the type of targeted resources, the cost of harvesting, the defending of territories, and the acknowledgment of territories by the fishing community. Conflicts and utilization of MFADs (overcapacity) have raised an opportunity to create co-managed legalized territorial use rights for fisheries.

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