Community Fish Stock Management for Conservation and Cohesion: A Comparative Study Between Greece and Japan

The importance of sustainable fish stock management through the ecosystem and the participatory approaches is widely supported by contemporary science. The management of fisheries, based on the internal knowledge of the insular artisanal communities, which operate with traditional techniques and tools, is considered key to sustainable marine and coastal ecosystems worldwide. According to the participatory approach, the insular communities which rely on the targeted fish stock should play an active and central role in the process of regulating and protecting it. Adopting a system of community participation in the decision-making process would result in developing a more holistic and inclusive management scheme with improved outcomes for both conservation and community development, enhancing also the social capital within the community. In Japan, the local resource users are the principal decision makers and marine resource conservation is an integral part of resource use. Traditional management concepts are used for contemporary fish stock management, with central point the interaction between human activity and ecosystem management. These ecosystems maintain high productivity and biodiversity, coupled with human intervention. By contrast, in Greece, although there is extensive legislation on fisheries management, its enforcement is minimal. The marine habitats have been gradually deteriorating, resulting not only in the loss of a large proportion of fish stocks, but also in the reduction of the livelihoods of the local artisanal fishing communities. As the fishermen have minimal participation in the decision making processes, the management of the marine resources or the enforcement of the legislation, their needs and local knowledge are not being represented in the decision making process. This paper cross-examines a case study from each country (Shiretoko Peninsula, Japan and Lipsi Island, Greece) in order to determine the factors that can create a good environment for sustainable co-management that supports local community resilience.