Abstract for: Sustainability EU Fisheries

The key question this research endeavours to address is whether dual purpose of sustainability of EU fisheries can be achieved at the same time as maintaining the welfare of the fisher people as proxied by sustainable return on their efforts. Fisheries management decisions have always been facing uncertainty. An expansion of the scope for management to include extended ecosystem considerations would increase this uncertainty. When the multiple interests of new stakeholders and the need for fisheries management to be both legitimate, effective and efficient are added it was clear that the introduction of ecosystem considerations would put considerable strain on fisheries management institutions, even to the point that they ought to change fundamentally. (Degnbol, 2002). The research process needed to not only harness all stakeholders’ views and experiences, but endeavour to address their needs. Thus, a novel, asynchronous GMB process was utilised given geographical and institutional diversity of participants. An initial CLD was presented with an explanation of the three-step process; two rounds of consultations and a final presentation. After the first round the model evolved substantially from the initial CLD and the second round resulted in consolidation of management levers with minor changes to allow for creation of stock and flows simulation.