Blue-green transformations of small-scale fisheries - Fishers’ perspectives

Sectors linked to primary production are significantly impacted by climate change and other anthropogenically caused environmental changes, and under pressure to transition their organization and how they use natural resources.

Such transitions in sectors related to the oceans have received far less attention and concern than sectors related to the atmosphere and land.

There is thus a need to better understand if and how “blue” transitions emerge, and how they could be facilitated in the future. In this research project, we will respond to this need by focusing on small-scale fisheries (SFF) in the Global North.

This sector holds important social and cultural values, and is often believed to  offer promising prospects for sustainable development of fisheries, yet its future looks bleak.

Numbers of fishers are declining and vessels are becoming fewer in numbers but bigger in terms of gross tonnage and engine power.

The overall aim of this research project is therefore to investigate if and how SSFs in the Global North can transition, and by doing so fulfill their potential to contribute to a larger transition towards sustainable development of fisheries.

We will achieve this aim by empirically assessing current and potential future transitions in the case of Swedish SSF, focusing on fishers’ perspectives.

We will perform interviews with fishers, fisheries’ managers and scientists, as well as use multiple analytical approaches.

The research will apply methods and theories from both social and natural science, and will be conducted by a team of highly skilled interdisciplinary scholars.

The results of research will generate a deeper understanding of transitions which are already taking place, as well as knowledge that could contribute to and prepare for future transitions of SSF in the Global North.

As such, the research will build a crucial knowledge-base for facilitating future fishers’ green-blue transitions towards increased sustainability.