Regulatory Frameworks and Policies for Ensuring Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Practices

Abstract

The world fisheries and aquaculture industries are increasingly affected by issues of overfishing, habitat degradation, climate change, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. These impacts require effective policy solutions at all levels of governance, including international, regional and national. This review systematically analyzes the design of regulatory frameworks managing sustainable fisheries and aquaculture at the international level by focusing on some of the most important instruments, such as the UNCLOS, CCRF, PSMA, and the WTO Fisheries Subsidy Agreement, along with selected regional and national policies. Based on the comparative policy analysis method, the study assesses the content of regulatory instruments in terms of scope, enforcement mechanisms, and impact on the ground within different geographic contexts. Results show that, in general, legal, binding instruments have a higher rate of compliance and quantifiable outcomes than voluntary instruments, while for the case of small-scale fisheries governance, where legal enforcement capability is low, voluntary instruments could still be effective. Large implementation gaps were identified in particular for developing countries and managing transboundary stocks. This research shows that adaptive governance structures integrating international commitments and management contexts are essential; the monitoring and surveillance capacities need to be enhanced, and ecosystem-based management principles should be included in binding instruments. Finally, policy recommendations are made on closing the gap between normative goals and actual performance in the international seafood production system.