RESEARCH Open Access
The social in change: p ope y igh s con adic ions
in Finland
Pekka Salmi
*
Co espondence: pekka.sal[email p o ec ed]
Finnish Game and Fishe ies
Resea ch Ins i u e, Enonkoski,
Finland
Abs ac
The concep o social sus ainabili y is occasionally used in ishe ies poli ical
a gumen a ion, bu p ac ical policies a e ypically guided by ecological and
economic a gumen s a he han he social. On he o he hand, social jus ice and
mo al accep abili y a e gene al p e equisi es o success ul ishe ies go e nance. This
pape s udies he changing social dimensions in Finnish ishe ies whe e in e ac ions
be ween he wa e -owne -based managemen sys em and a ious use g oups ha e
p oduced endu ing con adic ions. Along wi h a shi owa ds ec ea ional ishing,
he na ional and in e na ional le els o ishe ies go e nance ha e la gely eplaced he
local owne -based managemen sys em. Consequen ly, inc easing numbe s o new
in e es g oups, u al–u ban ela ions, managemen measu es and go e nance
ins i u ions ha e become pa o he ishe ies complex. Con adic ions ypically
culmina e in ishing igh s and he powe o decide o e access o ishing wa e s.
The biodi e si y and wildli e conse a ion measu es ha e o en unde a ed he social,
as well as economic, aspec s o ishing.
In oduc ion
In ishe ies go e nance, na u al sciences ha e held a hegemonic posi ion as he basis
o knowledge. As S ein Jen o (2006:672) holds, his si ua ion should be ‘ eplaced by
a mul i- o , ideally, in e -disciplina y app oach o ishe ies managemen , whe e he social
and economic issues a e examined as ho oughly and sys ema ically as hose o he na -
u al sys ems’. This is needed because social jus ice and mo al accep abili y a e gene al
p e equisi es o success ul ishe ies go e nance. The gene al a gumen a ion conce ning
he impo ance o social dimensions does no , howe e , seem o guide p ac ical policies.
Acco ding o Da id Symes and Je emy Phillipson (2009) he policy make s a e
‘s angely unwilling o inco po a e explici social objec i es in o he design o ishe ies
policy’. They no e ha inco po a ion o sus ainable de elopmen app oaches in ishe -
ies policy has pa adoxically weakened he s a us o social objec i es. Fo ins ance, he
p io i iza ion o ‘in e -gene a ional jus ice’o e ‘in a-gene a ional equi y’has dimin-
ished he social dimension o ishe ies policy. Policy make s ha e been p eoccupied
wi h d i ing down ishing e o due o o e ishing and enhancing economic e iciency
in line wi h a neo-libe al app oach o sus ainable economic g ow h. Mo eo e , Symes
and Phillipson (2009:4) no e ha ‘Allied o he sca ci y o ele an social da a on he
ishing indus y is a lack o awa eness o he social e hos, con ex and ela ionships o
he ishing indus y and he ishing communi y’.
© 2012 Salmi; licensee Sp inge . This is an Open Access a icle dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion
License (h p://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/2.0), which pe mi s un es ic ed use, dis ibu ion, and ep oduc ion in any medium,
p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed.
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Social sus ainabili y, like he sus ainable de elopmen concep , is mul i-dimensional and
di icul o de ine (Rannikko 1999:397). A p e equisi e o social sus ainabili y is ha local
communi ies lea n new p ac ices and, a he same ime, he non-local ac o s adap hei
s a egies o he ci cums ances o local people and na u e (Jokinen 2005:47). Cul u al sus-
ainabili y can be seen as a sub-class o social sus ainabili y. In cul u al sus ainabili y ‘De-
elopmen is in ha mony wi h he cul u al concep s o he indi iduals in ol ed’(Rannikko
1999:397). The a iabili y and con ex dependency o social phenomena is a challenge, i
no an obs acle, when aiming o cons uc quan i a i e and compa able indica o s o sus-
ainabili y. An hony Cha les (2001) has p o ided checklis s and indica o s o ope a ional-
izing he p ac ical assessmen o sus ainabili y in ishe ies sys ems. Also Glase and Diele
(2004) lis mul iple c i e ia pos ula ed in he social sus ainabili y li e a u e: quali y o li e,
social peace, a s ong ci il socie y, pa icipa ion, he deg ee o incidence o di e en o ms
o po e y and exclusion, dis ibu ional equi y, jus ice and human igh s, cul u al iden i y
and di e si y, he main enance o social capi al and he e ec i eness o social ins i u ions
and no ms. The ela i e impo ance o any one social sus ainabili y c i e ion is highly
dependen on a egion's cul u al, poli ical, social and economic con ex . Thus Glase and
Diele hold ha social sus ainabili y lacks he possibili y o abs ac ion om he speci ic
con ex which is cha ac e is ic o economic and biological sus ainabili y c i e ia.
Social pe spec i es and in e ac ions a e c ucial o unde s anding ishe ies go e n-
ance. Chuenpagdee e al. (2005:25–26) ha e no ed ha ‘Social jus ice is a key issue in
ishe ies, since he dis ibu ion o powe and income and he alloca ion o igh s change
in ela ion o access o esou ces’. S udying he loca ion and exe cise o powe is im-
po an in o de o unde s and how he go e ning sys em unc ions, al hough his is
no an easy ask due o he complexi y and pa ly hidden na u e o he powe posi ions.
Chuenpagdee e al. also emphasize change in go e nance p ocesses. As he socie y and
ishe ies, oge he wi h he go e nance sys ems, a e unde going ans o ma ion is i
easible o use he social sus ainabili y concep ? Inc easing numbe s o in e es ed pa -
ies, knowledge p oduce s and go e nance ins i u ions a di e en scales ha e become
pa o he dynamic ishe ies complex. Thus one is en i led o ask whose in e es s and
alues should be sus ained? Should we a he alk abou social jus ice and wellbeing?
When social sus ainabili y is de ined as: ‘De elopmen ein o ces he indi iduals’con ol
o e hei own li es. The esul s o de elopmen a e dis ibu ed equi ably’(Rannikko
1999:397), he componen s o social jus ice a e e iden . Fo ins ance, in he case o a new
ishe y egula ion, i is no unusual o local communi y membe s o ind he ai ness o
he go e nance p ocedu es (Engelen e al. 2008:10) unaccep able, al hough hey could li e
wi h he consequences o he pa icula egula ion. The b oad social wellbeing amewo k
explo es ela ionships be ween en i onmen al, social, poli ical and economic sus ainabili y
by pu ing he human being a he cen e o he analysis (Coul ha d e al. 2011:454). I
ocuses on he wide ange o social ela ionships ha a e in eg al o people achie ing hei
wellbeing. Also in his app oach social jus ice is impo an : in go e nance he agen s o
change mus ask whe he hei ac ions will aise wellbeing h oughou he popula ion
and in a socially jus ashion (Ibid:461). By s udying he socio-cul u al dimensions and he -
e ogenei y in ishe ies, he social wellbeing pe spec i e helps owa ds an unde s anding o
he con lic a ound policy egimes. The di e en isions and s a egies o wellbeing ha
di e en people hold and pu sue a e o en no compa ible wi h o he s, which poses a chal-
lenge o go e nance (Ibid:459).
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This pape s udies he changing social dimensions in ishe ies con lic s and hei man-
agemen . Finnish ishe ies a e examined as an example o si ua ions whe e, in addi ion
o na u e conse a ion in e es s, ec ea ional use o ish esou ces has become opical
and whe e a a ie y o esou ce use g oups ope a e wi hin he same sys em. In he
public deba es ecological pe spec i es a e ypically mo e ocally add essed han he so-
cial ones. On he o he hand, Finnish con adic ions ypically culmina e in deba es o e
p ope y igh s, pa icula ly ega ding igh s o ishing and he powe o decide abou
access o ishing wa e s; hese a e essen ially social-poli ical deba es. P ope y igh s a e
impo an om he pe spec i e o social sus ainabili y, because hey de e mine people’s
possibili ies o gain wellbeing om ishe ies and o pa icipa e in he go e nance p oce-
du es. Mo eo e , di e en s akeholde g oups hold di e en isions and illusions abou
p ope y igh s, which easily lead o con adic ions.
His o ically, abundan inland and coas al wa e a eas in a spa sely popula ed coun y
ha e p o ided ich ishing oppo uni ies o he Finns. Al hough a no able cul u e o
ishing and ish consump ion has p e ailed, ecen ans o ma ions and con adic ions
challenge he sus ainabili y o ishe ies especially om he social and economic pe spec-
i es. The majo ans o ma ion in ishing ac i i ies has been a shi om comme cial
ha es owa ds ec ea ional ishing. Pa allel wi h his de elopmen , na ional and in e -
na ional le els o ishe ies go e nance ha e pa ly eplaced he es ablished local owne -
based managemen sys em in Finland. Thus he go e nance sys em in ol es an inc eas-
ing numbe o in e es g oups, u al–u ban ela ions, managemen measu es and go -
e nance ins i u ions. The esul ing con lic s e lec he impo ance - and complica ions
- o eaching ha mony on p ope y igh s.
P ope y igh s sys ems a e complica ed as hey de i e om physical ac o s and om
social and poli ical ac o s. Owne ship is a combina ion o public and p i a e, la ge-
scale and small-scale, endu ing and ansien , se led and con es ed claims (McCay
2009:24). In some cases he essence o owne ship may be o mal and clea , bu ypically
i is a mix u e which e lec s who is doing he de ini ion and wi h wha powe , and how
he p ope y igh s a e ag eed upon and con igu ed (McCay 2009:24). The discussion
bene i s om di iding p ope y igh s in o mo e p ecise concep s like use igh s and
managemen igh s (Cha les 2001:281).
Righ s-based managemen has become a popula concep in ishe ies managemen
s essing he impo ance o p i a ized access sys ems such as indi idual ans e able
quo as, whe e ma ke able commodi ies a e in p i a e owne ship. Fo ins ance in hei
s udy o p ope y igh s egimes in Eu opean inland comme cial ishe ies Sipponen
e al. (2010) p esumed ha p i a iza ion o ishing igh s would inc ease e iciency. The
esul s showed, howe e , ha public p ope y igh egimes accoun ed o highe
ca ches and employmen han he p i a e ones.
Social ela ions and communi y membe ship, along wi h he economic pe spec i es,
a e signi ican o ces in p ope y igh s and owne ship sys ems. McCay (2009:20) has
desc ibed he ‘commons’no ion o owne ship, which is closely connec ed wi h commu-
ni y membe ship and he communi y-based ansmission o knowledge. ‘This kind o
owne ship is abou knowing and belonging, abou iden i y and long- e m, meaning ul
ela ionships wi h na u al sys ems’(McCay 2009:20).
This analysis is inspi ed by he heo y o in e ac i e go e nance (Kooiman 2003; Kooiman
2005). The a ious changes in Finnish ishe ies ha e inc eased complexi y and di e si y o
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bo h he sys em- o-be-go e ned and he go e ning sys em. Con lic s cons i u e one o m o
in e ac ion, which ha e shaped he go e ning sys em and he p ope y igh s egime. They
e lec epea ed di icul ies in achie ing balance be ween di e en isions and o en incom-
pa ible s a egies o wellbeing. The ollowing sho desc ip ions o a ious ensions and
con lic s in Finnish ishe ies a e based on esea ch indings and a collec ion o o he pub-
lished ma e ial.
Social change and ensions in Finnish ishe ies
Wa e owne s, landless people and comme cial ishing
In e ac ions be ween he wa e -owne managemen sys em and a ious use g oups
ha e p oduced endu ing con adic ions in Finnish ishe ies. S a ing mo e han one
hund ed yea s ago hese ensions we e mani es ed in he ise o he comme cial ishe -
ies, which we e ope a ed by landless people, and la e in ela ion o ec ea ional ishing.
Mos o he Finnish coas al and inland wa e s ha e adi ionally been unde p i a e
owne ship and associa ed wi h he possession o land. This was codi ied in a s a u e o
he yea 1766 when Finland was a pa o Sweden (Eklund 1994). In he 1902 ishe ies
legisla ion he ishing igh s o he landless people - he majo i y o p o essional ishe s
- became weake . The landowning a me s we e alloca ed mo e decision powe o e
ishing in hei wa e a eas. This e o m was based on he idea ha p o essional ishing
should be ope a ed by he land and wa e owning segmen o he popula ion (Eklund
1994).
As in o he p ima y p oduc ion sec o s, employmen in Finnish ishe ies declined
d as ically du ing he 20
h
cen u y. In 1901 he numbe o comme cial ishe s was a
leas 20 000 (Eklund 1991), bu in 2009 only 2 398, 2 077 o which ope a ed in he Bal-
ic Sea and 321 in he inland wa e s (Nylande 2010). Se e al ac o s ha e con ibu ed
o he decline, one being ish ma ke ing oppo uni ies connec ed o he his o ical
changes. Fo ins ance, he Bal ic ishing was de eloped in symbiosis wi h Russia o cen-
u ies, bu he loss o hose ma ke s a e 1917 led o a signi ican all in ishe ies em-
ploymen (Eklund 1991). La e , he educ ion o ela i e ish p ices and inc eased
compe i ion ha e educed bo h p o i abili y and he numbe o ishe s.
In he 1950s coas al ishe ies aced a c isis, in ensi ied by he ac ha he Finnish
s a e did no p o ide no ewo hy suppo o he li elihoods o he people a ec ed –
con e sely o he si ua ion in No way o Sweden (Eklund 1993). The weak poli ical
s a us o Finnish comme cial ishe s has con inued since he s a e has no been pa icu-
la ly in e es ed in he economic p oblems o his ela i ely small occupa ional g oup, in
con as o he p ima y p oduc ion o ag icul u e. Fo long, ag icul u al p oduce s ha e
o med a powe ul poli ical o ce in Finland, which has in luenced he u al emphasis o
he Finnish wel a e s a e a ionali y; in he la e 20
h
cen u y he ield-wo king peasan
became he symbol o he na ional abili y o econs uc ion and was economically sup-
po ed by he s a e (G anbe g 1999, Eklund 1993). The low poli ical s a us o he ishe s’
occupa ional g oup does no s em only om i s dec eased size and om he na ional
ocus on ag icul u e. Following he decline o coas al ishing communi ies, he con inu-
ing ishe amilies emained sepa a ed om each o he in emo e coas al a eas, which
has hampe ed hei o ganiza ion, co-ope a ion and weigh in he go e nance sys em.
Fishe s on he coas , a chipelagos and lakes ypically own hei ishing equipmen and
ha es he wa e s close o hei home wi h ela i ely small boa s on a seasonal and
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amily basis. In spi e o he gene al decline in comme cial ishing, ishe ies a e o eco-
nomic, social and cul u al impo ance o many coas al and inland loca ions. Fishe s
alue he independence, eedom and li e mode in hei li elihood and ega d he local
communi y as hei suppo . Many ha e a li e-long commi men o hei occupa ion
and emphasize he non-mone a y aims o wo k (Salmi and Salmi 1998; Salmi 2005). In-
s ead o high incomes ishe s s ess he aim o ea ning enough income o make a li ing.
The cul u al esou ces, p e e ed li e mode and commi men o he occupa ion ha e
suppo ed he con inua ion o comme cial ishing o many, bu he u u e o ishing as
a li elihood in Finland seems unce ain especially a he coas al a eas.
The owne -based and op-down managemen sys ems
In he Finnish owne -based local managemen o ishe ies he decision make is com-
monly a collec i e, namely a s a u o y sha eholde s’( ishe y) associa ion. I join ly
ep esen s he in e es s o indi idual owne s in ishe y ma e s (Salmi and Muje 2001).
The adi ional scope o ope a ion has been he illage. Mos o hese wa e owne s’
associa ions we e es ablished in he 1950s and 1960s when Finland was s ill mainly a
u al socie y. The majo land owne s, ypically a me s, ha e been a he co e o deci-
sion making. The associa ions sell ishing licenses and ypically use he income in s ock-
ing ish inge lings. The men al model o his local managemen o lakes and coas s has
been in luenced by he managemen o ields o o es s. No all o he wa e owne s a e
necessa ily in e es ed in ishing, bu ypically he decision make s in he ishe y associa-
ions a e household ishe s using passi e gea p ima ily o domes ic consump ion. The
associa ions a e, in p inciple, also obliged by law o p o ide ishing oppo uni ies o
od ishe s and comme cial ishe s. In loca ions whe e public wa e a eas a e a ailable,
comme cial ishe s ha e no been comple ely dependen on access o p i a ely owned
wa e a eas.
In he la e 20
h
cen u y many ega ded he local owne -based managemen sys em as
oo p o ec i e and ine icien , pa ly due o he ac ha he e we e la ge numbe s o
passi e managemen uni s and managemen o many wa e a eas was comple ely
uno ganized. In addi ion, he owned wa e a eas had become dispe sed and smalle
in size due o he shi o land owne ship especially in o he hands o second home
owne s. The access igh s o he landless popula ion we e deemed unsa is ac o y by he
p oponen s o inc easing he numbe o u ban ec ea ional ishe s. Subs an ial s uc-
u al e o m was unde aken by he Fishe ies Ac o 1982, which aimed a sus ainable
p oduc ion by os e ing a ional ishe ies managemen and e icien p o essional ishing.
Fishe ies Regions –new, pa ly adminis a i e o ganiza ions - we e es ablished a he
in e media e le el o managemen sys em. The ep esen a i es o ishe y associa ions
emain in he majo i y, bu ep esen a i es o ec ea ional and comme cial ishe s a e
also in ol ed. The g ip o go e nmen was u he s eng hened in 1982 h ough he
es ablishmen o 11 ishe y dis ic s, unde he Minis y o Ag icul u e and Fo es y
(Salmi and Muje 2001).
In e na ional ag eemen s and he adop ion o he Common Fishe ies Policy (CFP)
inc eased ishe ies egula ions and con ol a e Finland joined he EU in 1995. Whe eas
in o me days he amewo k o ishing was se by he local communi y, oday majo
decisions a ec ing he local ishe ies a e made a ou side he a ea (S o å 2003). The
CFP emphasizes big p o essional ishing uni s, which compe e in he ma ke wi h he
small-scale coas al ishe s. Consequen ly, he di e se and he e ogenic coas al ishe ies
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end o become ma ginalized. On he o he hand, he CFP has nei he s ongly in lu-
enced no es ic ed he comme cial lake ishe ies o ec ea ional ishing.
Towa ds pos -p oduc i ism in ishe ies
Recen ansi ions in he u iliza ion o u al na u al esou ces and u al de elopmen
ha e been desc ibed as a shi om p oduc i ism owa ds pos -p oduc i ism. In line
wi h Rannikko’s (2008) s udy ega ding Finnish o es y, he change owa ds pos -
p oduc i ism can be seen as a his o ical de elopmen whe e he emphasis has shi ed
om p oduc ion o a di e si y o esou ce u iliza ion and p o ec ion. The o es s
p o ide impo an na u al p oduc s, ec ea ion, exe cise and na u e expe ience o
many local people and isi o s. In pa allel wi h con ibu ions o people’s wellbeing,
na u e conse a ion is also an elemen o he pos -p oduc i is o es s.
In spi e o i s abundan wa e a eas Finland has ne e been able o compe e wi h he
big ishing coun ies in e ms o comme cial landings. Ye he p oduc i is ishe ies
pa adigms and ideas ha e p e ailed o a long ime, al hough a p esen i is he ec e-
a ional mo i a ions ha cha ac e ize ishe ies use in mos wa e a eas. As he esul o
an inc ease du ing he las decades, Finland is one o he leading ec ea ional ishing
coun ies (Va jopu o and Salmi 2003); abou 35–40% o he popula ion ish a leas
once a yea du ing hei leisu e ime (Toi onen 2008). In 2010, he e we e 1.7 million
ec ea ional ishe s and ishing was he mos , o almos he mos , impo an hobby o
50 000 ishe s (FGFRI 2011).
Finland was u banized compa a i ely la e bu apidly. In 1950 mos o he popula ion
s ill li ed in he coun yside, bu om 1970 he majo i y o Finns inhabi ed u ban
egions. Mos people s ill had hei oo s in u al a eas and enjoyed mo e leisu e ime.
Summe houses, mainly buil on he lake o coas al sho eline, became e y popula .
These co ages a e also impo an places o sus aining and econs uc ing ec ea ional
ishing ac i i ies (Salmi e al. 2006). As he summe co age dwelle s a e ypically u ban
people wi h hei oo s in he coun yside, hey pa ly ollow he cus oms and habi s
associa ed wi h he pas , bu also gi e hem new meanings, il e ed h ough he mode n
u ban pe spec i e (Jokinen 2002). Thus he ishing cul u e has become pa ly non-
localized (Lappalainen 1998) and he ishe g oups ha e inc eased in numbe and a i-
a ion o beha io and alues (Salmi e al. 2008).
Deba es o e ishing igh s
Along wi h he socie al change and di e en ia ion, social and cul u al dimensions a e
inc easingly opical issues in he go e nance o ishe ies. As he ollowing case s udies
will e eal, ishe ies con adic ions o en culmina e in p ope y igh s issues, because
hey de e mine people’s p ac ical oppo uni ies o gain wellbeing om ishe ies and o
pa icipa e in go e nance p ocedu es. P ope y igh s con lic s in Finnish ishe ies high-
ligh he complexi ies in achie ing accep able p ocedu es o decision making and in
s iking a balance be ween he wellbeing ou comes o di e gen in e es s and alues like
hose o comme cial and ec ea ional ishe s and wa e owne s.
Comme cial lake ishe ies
In he Finnish lake a eas ensions be ween comme cial ishing and local wa e owne asso-
cia ions ha e mos ly conce ned he ishing igh s o comme cial ishing o endace wi h
small pai awls and seine ne ing (Salmi and Au inen 1998). Con lic s occu ed especially
in he ea ly 1990s when he endace s ocks we e declining. The wa e owne s’associa ions
e used o g an pe mi s o comme cial ishing. The local owne - ishe s, who used mos ly
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gill ne s, ega ded comme cial ishing p ac ices as unsus ainable o he ep oduc ion o
endace s ocks. When dealing wi h hese con lic s in he cou , ishe ies scien is s ha e
gene ally a gued ha comme cial ishing does no endange he u u e o endace s ocks.
In he lake ishe ies dispu es he wa e owne s s essed ha he owne s’ igh o make
decisions abou hei wa e a ea wi hou ou side in e e ence is undamen al (Salmi and
Au inen 1998). In he Lake Onkamo con lic he wa e owne s also unde lined he in-
equali y among he ishe g oups: hey sugges ed ha he e a e 600 gill ne ishe s and
only wo seine ne eams using he ish esou ces o he lake. Win e seine ne ishing
on he ice is a adi ional comme cial ishing me hod (Figu e 1). The local owne - ishe s
Figu e 1 The mos impo an a ge species o he Finnish lake ishe ies, endace (Co egonus
albula), is he e cap u ed by win e seine ne ing. Vendace is a species o eshwa e whi e ish.
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p io i ized he access igh s o ec ea ional gill ne ishe s. Acco ding o comme cial
ishe s, he mo i e o educing he seine ne ishing e o de i ed om en y among
he people o he illage o hei conside able income om ishing. Fishe ies legisla ion
s essed ha local wa e owne s should allow comme cial ishing ope a ions when ish
s ocks a e no endange ed. A knowledge- ela ed p oblem was ha owne - ishe s’know-
ledge abou he s a e o he endace s ocks was media ed h ough gill ne ishing, which
may cause bias due o i s selec i i y.
In many lake and coas al a eas he wa e owne s’associa ions ha e been posi i e o-
wa ds he access igh s o bo h comme cial and ec ea ional ishe s. The main ocus,
howe e , has been on he needs o hose who own he wa e s, whe e hei ac i i ies ha e
been suppo ed by a s ong ne wo k o ishe y ad iso s. Typically, he mos conc e e
ac i i ies unde aken by he cen al associa ion and egional ad iso s in u al ad iso y
cen e s ha e been he s ocking o inge lings. This ish s ock enhancemen can be in e -
p e ed as one o he main bene i s o wa e owne ship and is aimed a imp o ing he
a ge species o he owne - ishe s. In ce ain, mainly Swedish-speaking coas al a eas
wa e owne ship has been conside ed p ima ily as suppo e o he comme cial ishing
cul u e, and in hese a eas he e has been s ong esis ance o he g an ing o new
access igh s o od ishe s.
Rod ishing igh s
Se e al igh s o non-wa e -owne s ha e been p o ec ed by law in Finland. Fo ex-
ample, ice ishing wi h a od and angling wi h a od and na u al bai a e allowed i e-
spec i e o he owne ship o he wa e (so-called 'e e y man’s igh s'). The la es change
enhancing he ishing oppo uni ies o non-owne s was he adop ion o a p o incial lu e
ishing ee in 1997 (Figu e 2), a e a li ely deba e in Pa liamen and he media. Wa e
owne s opposed his new legisla ion and in e p e ed i as in e e ence wi h p i a e own-
e ship and local decision making. In a se ies o paid announcemen s published in a
widely ci cula ed newspape , he owne s e en a gued ha he s a e was socializing p i-
a e p ope y (Pi honen and Salmi 1998).
Figu e 2 Since 1997 Finnish ec ea ional ishe s who use spinning ods ha e had access o
wide- anging wa e a eas by paying he p o incial lu e ishing ee o he s a e.
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The esis ance o he ec ea ional ishe s’ ela i ely ee access o p i a e wa e s was
jus i ied by a ious a gumen s, which can be di ided in o h ee main ca ego ies: 1) he
licensing sys em causes ha m o comme cial ishing and he ou is indus y, 2) lu e
ishe men dis u b na u e, ish ep oduc ion and people using he sho e and 3) he
licensing sys em hampe s local managemen and con ol o ishe ies (Salmi 2009a).
Acco ding o he local wa e owne s, comme cial gill ne ishe s ound spoon-bai s in
hei ne s and lu es had also b oken he ne s. I was no so much a ques ion o eco-
nomic loss, bu an addi ion o he di e si y o p oblems in comme cial ishe ies. The
si ua ion whe e a highly alued li elihood is being dis u bed by ec ea ionalis s om
ou side he a ea was conside ed unbea able. I was in ima ed ha comme cial ishing
was aking second place o leisu e ishe men, who do no know how o beha e in he
a chipelago a ea (Salmi 2009a). The wa e owne s ound i di icul o con ol ishing,
because hey we e no longe he exclusi e license p o ide s in hei wa e s. Mo i a ion
o looking a e ish s ocks and supe ising he compliance wi h ishing egula ions
weakened.
People in he Swedish-speaking a chipelago a e pa icula ly o ce ul de ende s o he
ins i u ion o p i a e owne ship (see Taxell 1989:56). Applica ion o he s a e-o ganized
p o incial lu e ishing ee sys em e lec s a long- oo ed p ope y igh con lic . Al eady
in he ea ly 1970s comme cial ishe s we e wo ied abou he shi o con ol om
he wa e owne s and comme cial ishe s o hose p omo ing ec ea ional in e es s
(Be gman and Ös e holm 1975:172). The discussion conce ning he ishe y manage-
men igh s o local people also has ea u es pa allel o he hea ed deba es on na u e
conse a ion and p i a e owne ship o land and wa e . In he case o he lu e ishing
ee, he s ong he o ic in a o o p i a e wa e owne ship e lec s he need o keep he
managemen igh s in he hands o he local people - owne ship can be ega ded as a
symbol o he communi y’s sel -de e mina ion (Salmi and Va jopu o 2001).
Re o ming he Finnish ishe ies legisla ion
Ongoing discussion o e a wide anging e o m conce ning ishe ies legisla ion e eals
complex issues, ensions and a a ie y o seemingly i econcilable iewpoin s, la gely
oo ed in sel -in e es . The p o ince-wide lu e ishing ee sys em has been discussed
in he con ex o guided ishing. When a ishing guide akes his clien s ishing in o a
p i a ely owned a ea, is he p o ince-wide lu e ishing ee adequa e o should he ishe s
also ob ain a pe mi om he local wa e owne s? The Sup eme Cou o Finland has
decided ha he lu e ishing ee g an ed by he s a e is no applicable in his ype o
ishing ou ism business. This in e p e a ion has made he ishing guide en ep eneu s
ang y and hey ha e demanded a change in legisla ion. They claim ha he Swedish
People’s Pa y, which ep esen s he Swedish-speaking Finns, is he main opponen o
ishing ou ism (Paa aja 2008). Suppo e s o guided ishing hold ha he Swedish Peo-
ple’s Pa y has been agains e e y s ep owa ds widening he public ishing igh s o ec-
ea ional ishe s s a ing wi h ice ishing and angling. The Sec e a y o S a e (Johansson
2008) commen ed ha he access o guided ishing ou is s o p i a ely owned wa e s
has always equi ed wa e owne s’pe mission. A possible change in he Fishe ies Ac
should be made in he o de o p ocedu e equi ed o he enac men o cons i u ional
legisla ion.
In he con ex o he e o m o ishe ies legisla ion he spokesman o he Finnish Fed-
e a ion o Rec ea ional Fishing has in e p e ed he social dimension o sus ainabili y:
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