The central message of the book is that stakeholder participation in the governance of fisheries is beneficial, but confers responsibilities as well as rights: all stakeholders have a public duty to act as stewards of the marine environment. With chapters by leading scholars and participants in fisheries governance, this book recounts contemporary techniques of public participation, and develops a new concept of environmental stewardship as a form of fisheries governance.

A topical and authoritative examination of the current crisis in the fishing industry, offering a political analysis of the reasons for the crisis and suggesting ways in which this might be overcome. The contributors include fishery officials and scientists as well as academics. The focus is mainly on the European fishing industry, with issues including political bargaining in the EU, the working of quota arrangements, the status of marine scientific knowledge and the industry's management structures in different countries.

The central controversy running through this book is whether Mrs Thatcher's famous "green" speeches of 1988 marked a fundamental shift by the Conservative Government towards environmentalism, or whether they were merely political rhetoric, designed to rule out a temporary surge of popular support for the Green party. The conclusion arrived at is mixed: in some policy areas a definite shift has occurred, but in others it is "business as usual".

In this book, the authors examine the governance of marine protected areas (MPA), and in particular they compare two different forms of governance - co-management (CM) and adaptive co-management (ACM). CM is characterized by the decentralization of the decision-making process, incorporating the governed as well as the government. ACM is characterized by the dynamic process whereby co-management decision-making is made continuously responsive to the changing ecological and socio-economic circumstances of the MPA. The authors carry out a comprehensive critical analysis of CM and ACM before applying these concepts to the case study of the Cayos Cochinos Marine Protected Area off Honduras to assess two successive management cycles, 2004-9 and 2008-13. The area was designated as an MPA in 1993, a governmental decision which was met with resentment by local communities. CM was introduced in 2004 to involve these local stakeholders in the decision-making process, but achieved limited success. In an attempt to deal with these deficiencies, ACM was adopted in the second management plan in 2008, but whereas the position of the local communities improved, it tipped the scales too far away from conservation. A third management plan is currently being prepared that promises to strike a better balance between ecological and socio-economic objectives. A central theme of the book is to examine how far the CCMPA adhered to the principles of CM and ACM respectively in its first two management plans.

In this book, the authors examine the governance of marine protected areas (MPA), and in particular they compare two different forms of governance - co-management (CM) and adaptive co-management (ACM). CM is characterized by the decentralization of the decision-making process, incorporating the governed as well as the government. ACM is characterized by the dynamic process whereby co-management decision-making is made continuously responsive to the changing ecological and socio-economic circumstances of the MPA. The authors carry out a comprehensive critical analysis of CM and ACM before applying these concepts to the case study of the Cayos Cochinos Marine Protected Area off Honduras to assess two successive management cycles, 2004-9 and 2008-13. The area was designated as an MPA in 1993, a governmental decision which was met with resentment by local communities. CM was introduced in 2004 to involve these local stakeholders in the decision-making process, but achieved limited success. In an attempt to deal with these deficiencies, ACM was adopted in the second management plan in 2008, but whereas the position of the local communities improved, it tipped the scales too far away from conservation. A third management plan is currently being prepared that promises to strike a better balance between ecological and socio-economic objectives. A central theme of the book is to examine how far the CCMPA adhered to the principles of CM and ACM respectively in its first two management plans.

Participation in fisheries governance is an issue that has become fashionable in recent years, partly because of the patent failure of most non-participatory modes of fisheries management across the world, and partly because participation has become de rigueur in many other sectors, most notably the development sector.

This edited book is, therefore, a timely contribution to a lively contemporary debate. The chapters focus on three main themes: first, what value does stakeholder participation bring to fisheries governance? Its advocates claim that participation improves the quality of decision-making; resolves conflicts; and increases compliance with regulations. On the other hand, critics argue that participation is often unnecessary, ineffective, costly, time-consuming, and cosmetic. The second theme is the relationship between the participatory mode and the current switch from single species-based fisheries management to the ecosystem-based approach (EBA). In what way does widening the extent of public participation contribute to the EBA? Third is the vexed question of the relationship between fishers experiential knowledge and fisheries science: how far does fishers knowledge improve our understanding of the marine environment?

The central message of the book is that while stakeholder participation is beneficial, it carries with it responsibilities as well as rights: all stakeholders have a public duty to act as stewards for the marine environment."

The central controversy running through this book is whether Mrs Thatcher's famous "green" speeches of 1988 marked a fundamental shift by the Conservative Government towards environmentalism, or whether they were merely political rhetoric, designed to rule out a temporary surge of popular support for the Green party. The conclusion arrived at is mixed: in some policy areas a definite shift has occurred, but in others it is "business as usual".

A topical and authoritative examination of the current crisis in the fishing industry, offering a political analysis of the reasons for the crisis and suggesting ways in which this might be overcome. The contributors include fishery officials and scientists as well as academics. The focus is mainly on the European fishing industry, with issues including political bargaining in the EU, the working of quota arrangements, the status of marine scientific knowledge and the industry's management structures in different countries.