The Future of Fishing

Final Documents of the Lay Panel and of the Panel of Fishermen from the Consensus Conference of 22-25 November 1996.

Preface
Fish resources are scarce and threatened by over-exploitation. The marine environment is endangered by urban and agricultural pollution, and problems are being caused by the intensity of fishing and by the effect on the marine environment of fishing equipment.
Fishermen have to contend with an increasingly globalised fishing industry and tough market competition. Many local fishing communities have practically ceased to function. The fishing industry is cutting back or closing down at the same time as fish products are being exported almost unprocessed.
How can we ensure economically optimal and at the same time sustainable utilisation of marine fish resources, and what role should technological development play?
This was the background to the Consensus Conference on the Future of Fishing convened by the Danish Board of Technology and held in Copenhagen in the period 22-25 November 1996.
The purpose of the conference was to establish an overview of barriers and conflicts to an environmentally and economically sustainable fishing industry. And to obtain the assessments of fishermen and laymen on possible solutions and action recommendations in the area concerned, and thus provide the Danish parliament and other decision-makers with a qualified basis for initiatives.
The purpose of the conference was also to disseminate information and generate interest concerning sustainable fishing methods, and thus contribute to increased publicity on the subject.
At a conventional Danish consensus conference the questioning panel consists of 14 laymen with no special knowledge of the conference theme. In the case of the present conference the Danish Board of Technology adopted a different approach out of a desire to obtain an assessment of the industry’s future as seen by fishermen themselves. The Board also considered it important to hear the views of the public (the consumer) on problems and conflicts in an area which represents an important part of our food supply – and not least the attitudes and requirements of consumers with regard to the product. Two questioning panels were therefore represented at the conference – a lay panel and a panel of fishermen. The conference thus resulted in two final documents.

Danish Board of Technology

December 1996