Small-Scale Fisheries Governance in Norway: Hierarchy, Institutions and Markets

Abstract

Small-scale fisheries are highly relevant in Norway. Until 1989, small-scale fisheries were open access and, like other Norwegian fisheries, subsidised; since then they have changed radically. The closure of major fisheries in the early 1990s, following collapses in important stocks and the removal of direct subsidies, has affected fisheries of all sizes. Societal changes have also had an impact on Norwegian small-scale fisheries. There have been changes to the welfare state and the adoption of strategies designed to make the fishing industry ecologically and economically sustainable. These have contributed to new developments in fishing technology and practices and altered the social organisation of fisheries. Although Norwegian fisheries’ policy has focused on the structural adaptation of the fishing fleet and economic efficiency, it has also attempted to protect the small-scale fishing fleet, originally defined as vessels under 11 m in length. This has meant that the national fisheries’ policy framework, though focusing on sustainability and profitability, has allowed small-scale fishing to survive both as a part-time activity and a full-time profession, and ensured its full integration into the fishing industry. This chapter presents the background to this situation and describes important drivers behind these changes in Norwegian small-scale fisheries and concludes with some lessons that can be learnt from developments in Norway.