The Faroe Islands are currently struggling to find their feet in a new context of globalization and changing international requirements on fishery management best practices, as exemplified by United Nations protocols and agreements. We introduce the Faroese fisheries effort management system for cod, haddock and saithe, which represents an innovative attempt to tackle the challenges of mixed fisheries by means of a combination of total allowable effort implemented through days-at-sea and extensive use of closed or limited access areas. Subsequently, we present and discuss controversies concerning the system's ability (or lack thereof) to achieve a level of fishing effort that produces long-term sustainability. Over the years the system has proven able to evolve and overcome challenges, and the Faroe Islands are currently considering adding a proper fisheries management plan to the system to achieve fishing at maximum sustainable yield. However, finding support for this plan presents a challenge due particularly to an enduring gap between the perspectives of scientists and actors in the catching sector. Finally, we outline some actions that could be taken to reduce the gap and hence facilitate reform of the system: 1) integration of the consultative/advisory process; 2) obtaining tailor-made advice for the Faroese effort management system from the relevant scientific body; 3) establishment of a transparent mechanism for monitoring and regulating fishing effort; 4) clarifying the effectiveness of the prevalent system of closed areas.
This report presents the results from the project 'Future Fishermen'. The report addresses recruitment challenges in Danish fisheries with a particular focus on the Fisheries School's education. The purpose of the study was to provide a broader and more systematic knowledge base that the industry can use to address recruitment problems and challenges derived from them, e.g. generational change.
The report is based on a literature study and qualitative interviews with students at the Fisheries School (who are apprentices in relation to the internship) and other actors in the fisheries as the central empirical evidence. Along the way, we have sparred with representatives from the three fisheries organizations FSK‐PO, DFPO and DPPO, as well as employees at the Fisheries School. However, the conclusions are solely the authors' own.
The main purpose of the study was to understand young people's values and images of fisheries in order to increase recruitment to (and retention in) Danish fisheries and especially the Fisheries School. In this process, we have addressed 3 overall problem complexes that are important in terms of meeting the recruitment challenges in Danish fisheries: recruitment to the Fisheries School; recruitment to the entire fishing industry; and the Fisheries School's education.