LOCAL MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR SUSTAINABILITY OF SMALL-SCALE FISHERIES: A CASE STUDY

The management or “Good governance” of fishery resources is the topical subject with which local, national and European policies have dealing with. In this context, different institutional strategies and voluntary initiatives by coastal communities were implemented in order to better manage marine resources. According with blue economy and blue growth models, the European regulatory framework strongly affects the member countries through the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), underlining that economic growth of maritime activities cannot ignore the environmental and ecological aspects. In Italy, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies (MiAFFP) carries out supplementary measures in order to improve the competitiveness of fisheries with three-year national plans. This study evaluates the effectiveness of ten Local Management Plans (LMPs) for fishing activities recently implemented in Sicily (Italy). Monitoring of fisheries activities for the period 2012-2015 by using biological, technical, economic and social indicators, had allowed to assess each plan. Data analysis had taken into account the polyvalence and diversification of fishing activities. Results show that the implementation process of the LMPs had been very complex at every stage. Despite the innovations and the availability of the fishing communities to a strict self-management, several critical issues and weakness in strategies have emerged. Arising considerations on institutional and social sustainability domains underscore the importance of the local management to ensure long-term sustainability of the resources exploited, through the increase of accountability in resource management shared between institutions, fishers and scientists.