Investigating Beyond the Scales. Interactive governance analysis of small-scale fisheries in the San Andrés Archipelago, Colombia

Abstract

Small-scale fisheries are complex, diverse and dynamic. Therefore, to understand these fisheries, governance is favoured to management as a more comprehensive analytical framework that aims to catch issues and challenged beyond the technical aspects of management. Following a phronesis approach, embedding theory into reality, I chose the case study of the small-scale fisheries of the San Andrés archipelago for analysis. To do so, the interactive governance theory and its conceptual framework have been used as a guideline and theoretical material to cast light on the many challenges in small-scale fisheries governance. A judgement issued in November 2012 by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague serves to cast light on the many challenges in the governance and governability of small-scale fisheries. Main challenges are related to issues power, interaction and scale. I argue in this paper that analysis of small-scale fisheries should include interactions at multiple levels and scales. The focus cannot be limited to the level in which fishers interact directly. To understand risks and potential opportunities for governability improvement, multi-level and multi-scale analysis should be fostered. As few information regarding this perspective exist, further research is needed to develop the scale and level features of the interactive governance theory.