An international comparison of Scotland and Newfoundland's offshore marine industries: exploring the connections among commercial fisheries and offshore oil and gas

The development of the offshore oil industry in the past fifty years has created heightened interactions at sea, where traditionally fishing activities dominated. This study explores the nature of liaison bodies that have formed between the offshore oil and gas and commercial fishing industries in Scotland and Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada, necessitated by their operational conflicts in common sea areas. A comparative case study approach was used to research these two nations, as offshore oil and gas is very important to both countries’ economic security whilst their commercial fishing fleets face mounting pressures in the context of diminishing fish stocks. The findings of this study suggest that Scotland has a greater range of liaison positions than Canada, resulting in part from their more mature and extensive offshore oil industry. International collaboration was identified as playing a key role in the transference of knowledge and informing liaison practices in the Canadian offshore oil industry. This study corroborates previous research in finding that industry integration and collaboration is important in furthering goals of integrated coastal zone management