Membership attitudes to the evolving role of E.U. fish producers' organisations : subsidiarity or subordination in Shetland?

Research PaperAs the various mechanisms of fisheries resources management have matured, fishermen increasingly have responded by devising and developing different forms of collective representation. Within the European Union (EU), Producer's organisation (POs) provide a voluntary organisational structure which has evolved since its inception in the 1970s. During the intervening period, POs have become a major institutional force within the EU fisheries sector. Recent research into the PO concept in four countries in the EU found a variety of emphasis and roles adopted by the POs present at each vocation; for example, in some member states POs have become established as key players within the existing resource management system of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) whilst elsewhere their role was more focused upon management of the market. If such organisations are to continue to play a pivotal role in industry representation, it is essential that fishermen's perceptions of the organisational structure are reviewed to ensure their continued support and to assess any predisposition towards possible further evolutionary change. This paper presents the results of one such investigation of the attitudes of a PO membership, that of the Shetland Fish Producers Organisation Ltd (SFPO), to this evolving organisation which represents them. Face to face, in-depth interviews were conducted in an attempt to explore their perceptions and attitudes to membership, along with possible expansion of the resource management role of the POs within the future evolution of the CFP. Analysis used Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA), and qualitative methods. Whilst the membership's view of the SFPO was found to be positive, some other interesting aspects did emerge, which may have implications for the future evolution of POs. Further resource management powers for POs would, on this evidence, seem to necessitate sensitive and considered implementation and should be only a component part of wider reform of the CFP