Tools for Improved Governance of Small-Scale Fisheries -The Case of Tuna Fisheries in the Bay of Bengal Region of the Indian Ocean

Suggested Bibliographic Reference: Challenging New Frontiers in the Global Seafood Sector: Proceedings of the Eighteenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade, July 11-15, 2016. Compiled by Stefani J. Evers and Ann L. Shriver. International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade (IIFET), Corvallis, 2016.Proceedings of the Eighteenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade, held July 11-15, 2016 at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Center (AECC), Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.Tuna and other highly migratory and trans-boundary fish species form an important seasonal component of the annual catch taken by thousands of small-scale inshore and coastal fishers in the Bay of Bengal region of the Indian Ocean. However, there are serious concerns about the productivity and sustainability of the fisheries involved given the apparent sizeable increase in fishing effort in recent years, along with national policies that are promoting increased effort in related off-shore fisheries, and the overall weakness of the fisheries management systems involved. In the following paper, the prospects for these fisheries will be examined, focusing broadly on both future opportunities and challenges. Particular attention will be given to the possibilities for using new and innovative tools for improved fisheries governance, including rights-based fisheries management systems and tradeable fish product certification schemes. The current paper will draw upon the ongoing work and findings of the Bay of Bengal project component of the World Bank/GEF Program Ocean Partnerships for Sustainable Fisheries and Biodiversity Conservation - Models for Innovation and Reform (OPP) which is currently working with a wide range of fisheries stakeholders at local, regional and international levels in the Indian Ocean