Project

The Code of Conduct project focuses on development of codes of conduct for sustainable and responsible fisheries in Denmark. Codes of conduct for sustainable fisheries at general level (UN and EU) already exist. The project intends to integrate market and management interests in a process where fishermen formulate the specific code of conduct for their fishery. By analysing expectations and demands regarding sustainable and responsible fisheries from public management and from central market actors such as large European supermarket chains, the project will provide the fishermen with information of usefulness of a code of conduct: Can the code be a tool for fishermen to "take back responsibility" in management, and can it support attempts to get a higher value out of the catch? The general framework for codes of conduct and a specific code of conduct for the pelagic fishery will be formulated in interaction with the fishermen and their organisations.

The project consists of four phases: 1) Analysis of trends in demands and expectations to sustainable fishery from central market interests and the management system. 2) Development of a general framework for codes of conduct within Danish fisheries. This will be discussed with representatives from the catch and processing sectors as well as management. 3) Development of a specific code of conduct for sustainable and responsible fisheries within the Danish pelagic fishery. In this phase the project team will help fishermen from the sector and the Danish Pelagic Producer Organisation formulating their own code of conduct. 4) Communication of the experiences from the project through a conference, articles and a folder with guidelines for a framework of codes of conduct for sustainable and responsible fisheries and for how to involve the fishermen in the specific fishery.