Sustainable Plus

In a country entirely dependent upon fisheries, sustainability represents more than a modern management concept: it’s a deeply rooted tradition and defines almost every R&D project, according to the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs.

by Búi Tyril / Photography by Maria Olsen

Björn Kalsö, the Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, has presented an overhaul of the Commercial Fisheries Act, scheduled for the floor of the Lögting (Faroese Parliament) this year, and introducing changes to the rules that govern fishing licenses. While Mr Kalsö’s amendment package is seen to leave intact the structure of the Faroese effort management system—the ‘fishing days system’—there will apparently be some more or less profound alterations of the licensing regulation effective for all Faroese fishing vessels both inside and outside of the exclusive economic zone.

The effort management system for the groundfish fisheries inside the Faroe EEZ was installed in 1996 to replace a quota regime imposed as a crisis measure in 1994, and has proved more effective than some had predicted. With the complete absence of problems such as discard of marketable fish or misreporting of catch, the success of the thriving Faroese fishing industry since the effort system came into effect is seen to contrast starkly against the more questionable results achieved in many other countries.

The secret behind this success is truly sustainable management, according to Jákup Mörköre, research coordinator for the Fisheries Research Fund and the Fisheries R&D Program, of the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs.

“The untold story is that virtually every research project undertaken in the Faroes somehow relates to the question of sustainable fisheries,” Mr Mörköre said. “Considering the limited financial resources of a small community, many find the results produced by the Faroese system very impressive. One of its strength is that it has a working element of self-regulation, which has something to do with the very living conditions here and the all-encompassing necessity for good economic performance within the fishing sector. Obviously, the absence of sustainability would have grave consequences in a relatively short time, which means people collectively have a powerful incentive to ensure policies that are fairly long-term. So, sustainability is key to survival here, even today, as it has been for centuries.”

Days at sea however do not translate directly into quantities. “I believe the question of finding a better suitable way to quantify days at sea in relation to the stock assessments conducted by fisheries scientists will have to be dealt with further,” Mr Mörköre said.

The commercially most important fish stocks found within the Faroese EEZ have been assessed annually since the 1970s, by the Faroese Fisheries Laboratory, in conjunction with its working group system and the advisory process of the ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea). These assessments have generally been highly respected, however there is consensus that accurate predictions are somewhat impossible to extract from presently available models. To balance uncertainties, the Committee on Fishing Days, consisting of representatives from the fishing industry, makes its own recommendations in relation to the advice from the scientists, after which the Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs collects and considers the advice and viewpoints offered, before presenting his recommendation to the Lögting for final decision.

“We seek to apply a responsible ecosystem approach in balance with the socio-economic imperative,” Mr Mörköre added. “The legislation stipulates that our fisheries are to be managed sustainably in biological, economic, and social terms. This means co-management, cooperation between stakeholders and managers, involving marine sciences, business and employment interests, and the democratic process.”

It’s not always easy to reach full agreement between the various interests, Mr Mörköre pointed out. “For instance, a perceived increase in the overall fishing efficiency of some of the fleets has led to cuts in the total number of days allotted, in fact by more than one-fifth on average since the effort system was implemented. But such decisions can be difficult.”

The extensive technical regulations governing Faroe EEZ fisheries include minimum mesh size directives as well as restrictions with regard to fishing gears and vessel categories, in addition to marine protected areas.

Areas containing coral reefs are closed year-round for all trawling. Everything inside the 12-mile limit is closed year-round for all bottom trawling with the exception of small inshore vessels under a limited period only. Most of the surrounding area has long been temporarily closed and partly year-round closed for trawling with engines greater than 500 hp. Several identified spawning areas are temporarily closed for all fishing.

About four years ago, the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs established three research and development centers dedicated to marine biotech, fish harvesting and fish processing technology. The R&D centers are all hosted by and based upon existing infrastructures of government agencies and public institutions including the Faroese Fisheries Laboratory and the Food, Veterinary and Environmental Agency. Another R&D program coordinated by Mr Mörköre aims to stimulate scientific and industrial R&D projects in order to “develop Faroese fisheries industry, harvesting, processing and trade, with regard to biologically, economically and socially sustainable use of the ocean’s resources.”

This year’s grants from the Ministry, through the Fisheries Research Fund, features 10 new and 10 continued R&D projects, ranging from modeling the interplay among the main species in the ecosystem of the Faroese continental shelf, to creating a comprehensive register of all coral reefs within the 200-mile zone, to research into distinguishing characteristics between gelatins extracted from various fish species as compared with those extracted from other animals.


Source: the Annual Business Report 2007 from Faroe Islands

 
 

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