Small-scale fisheries have a long and complex history in Europe. Nowadays they still make up a majority of the fleet in a number of countries, especially in southern Europe. Around 70,000 of the 84,000 commercial fishing vessels (83%) in Europe are below 12 meter in length and classified as belonging to small-scale fisheries (Macfadyen et al. 2011). Similar to those in other parts of the world, small-scale fishers in Europe face many challenges, like market competition, urban development, and the expansion of coastal tourism. Despite their numbers, small-scale fisheries have tended to get relatively little attention in fishery management debates. The new Common  Fisheries Policy (CFP), still under negotiation and expected to enter into force in 2014, is likely to introduce specific new measures for small-scale fisheries. That raises challenges: is there appropriate knowledge on small-scale fisheries and what governance arrangements would best achieve the policy goals?

 

In Asia, Africa, and Latin America, small-scale fisheries still predominate. But there too, small-scale fisheries receive little attention in policy-making even though they contribute in a major way to employment and food security. Their technologies and skills are more relevant than ever for a world that seeks a positive balance with nature.

 

All sorts of efforts and initiatives are required to address the current and emerging concerns related to small-scale fisheries. Building upon two ongoing research projects, this policy day focuses on two issues: knowledge and governance. GAP2’s (see www.gap2.eu) purpose is to demonstrate the role and value of stakeholder driven science within the context of fisheries governance. The Too Big to Ignore (TBTI – see http://toobigtoignore.net/) project aims to promote and revitalize small-scale fishing communities around the world, including  Europe. Both projects are concerned about the relative lack of information about small-scale fisheries and their communities, and strive to improve and better integrate our knowledge base into the policy process.

 

The policy day centres on the following questions:

The policy day is expected to be relevant for:

 

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