We’re just fishing : analysing environmental justice in the governance of the Wash cockle fishery.

Padda, Gurpreet (2019) We’re just fishing : analysing environmental justice in the governance of the Wash cockle fishery. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

The addition of the Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009) has come to the detriment of inshore fishermen. This thesis combines Kooiman’s et al (2008) interactive governance (IG) framework and Walker’s (2012) environmental justice framework, to explore interactions on the ground that lead to experiences of (in)justice. The combined IG with EJ framework is innovative in the examination of natural resource governance in the developed Global North. The research focusses on UK Wash Cockle fishery and the local inshore fisheries governance organisation known as the Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (Eastern-IFCA) as a case study to investigate these (in)justices. The combined framework is used to investigate the questions 1] How has the management regime in The Wash changed over time, and what have been the implications for inshore fishermen? 2] How do inshore fishermen perceive their fishing rights? 3] How are inshore fishermen being constrained by other marine activities? Interview data and draw from secondary sources: government minutes, policy documents, official datasets to understand experiences of (in)justice. The results illustrate that the introduction of the Marine and Coastal Access Act (MCAA 2009), to include more stakeholders in decision-making, has led to a growing gap in decision-making between the Eastern-IFCA, DEFRA and EU level, and fishermen. On the ground, decisions have largely come at the expense of the fishermen for example, more stakeholders in marine spatial planning decisions, has meant some fishing sectors are often marginalised in decision-making and in having access to marine space. The IG and EJ frameworks reveal that, in the eyes of fishermen, the Eastern-IFCA is not functioning justly at protecting fishermen interests. Although this research is context specific, this framework is flexible and applicable to the wider world of natural resource governance, as almost all natural resources require balancing exploitation (use) against conservation and the societal needs. The research supports using IG to improve the understanding of EJ in natural resource governance and highlights that governance structures and policies should inform good governance of natural resources. In doing so, this helps ensure that societal needs and environmental conservation goals are balanced and just.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	12 Apr 2021 12:57
Last Modified:	31 Dec 2022 01:38
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/79670
DOI:

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