World fisheries governance is rapidly evolving in response to modern imperatives both for improved environmental and natural resource management and for economic efficiency in an increasingly global economy. In re-examining the relationship between man and fishery resources, new forms of relations, more conducive to sustainability, are being conceived and tested.
Key questions we must ask are: Who should have access to the resources? What options are there for the form and the price of access rights? These difficult questions have very fundmental social, conomic, and political implications - and it is unlikely that a unique solution would fit every situation. Thus it is vital to exchange information on these situations, on new fisheries governance and rights approaches, and on the difficulties and outcomes of their implementation.
Property rights are a powerful institutional framework which society has evolved to enable people to exploit the natural environment in an orderly fashion. They constitute an institutional framework which operates according to rules of definition and conduct. Depending on the actual management regime, these may be formal and explicit or informal and implicit. There is a need to bring these differing views into open debate and explore avenues of common interest.
Informational exchange is vital as property rights (and the associated rules) define powers, duties and responsibilities for individuals or groups. As such they have the potential, when well defined, to enable conflicts between different users of a resource to be resolved, including resolution by market transaction involving the transfer of property.
This conference intends to contribute to this exchange of information on use of property rights in fisheries management by exploring the strategic, political, and operational issues of different forms of rights-based fisheries management worldwide.
Final report
Fisheries Western Australia, in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, hosted 'FishRights99', an international Conference with the theme Use of Property Rights in Fisheries Management. The conference was held in Fremantle, Western Australia, in November 1999.
Property rights are a powerful institutional framework for society to manage the exploitation of the natural environment in an orderly manner. The framework may be implicit or explicit, formal or informal, depending on the social circumstances. Such frameworks are being increasingly seen as another mechanism for efficient and effective management of fish resources. The 'FishRights99' Conference was seen as a mechanism and forum to explore the international use of property rights.
In order to ensure that the full range of experiences were explored, an extensive program of eminent speakers was organised. In addition, funding was obtained to bring a range of participants from developing countries to the Conference.
The Conference was an overwhelming success and 343 delegates from over 50 countries contributed an enormous amount of know ledge about a vast range of rights-based fisheries management situations. The breadth of experiences and insights about the use of property rights created a unique opportunity to examine existing beliefs, encourage new ideas, and develop new solutions.
The final resolution of the Conference was that another conference be held in five years to further explore the development and application of rights based management.
