Assessing Factors that Influence the Effectiveness of Preferential Access Areas for Small-Scale Fishers

Abstract

Small-scale fisheries (SSF) are vital for producing food and sustaining livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people around the world, but are facing a myriad of pressures, including increased competition with larger-scale and industrial fishing. To protect access to fisheries for SSF, many countries have established preferential access areas that restrict national or sub-national coastal waters for use by SSF. This project examines as case studies the preferential access areas of Liberia and Colombia, two high-performing nations in minimizing the incursion of industrial fishing vessels into their preferential access areas. Through a mixed-methods analysis of scientific literature, digital news articles, and semi-structured interviews with academic and governmental key informants, this research assesses the management tools and enforcement mechanisms implemented to enforce the preferential access areas, as well as the attributed effects. This project provides insight into the factors that affect effectiveness and scalability of preferential access areas as a spatial management tool for securing access for SSF.