The social in change : property rights contradictions in Finland

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. Salmi Ma i ime S udies 2012, 11:2 www.ma i imes udiesjou nal.com/con en /11/1/2 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). Salmi Ma i ime S udies 2012, 11:2 Page 2 o 14 www.ma i imes udiesjou nal.com/con en /11/1/2 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 Salmi Ma i ime S udies 2012, 11:2 Page 3 o 14 www.ma i imes udiesjou nal.com/con en /11/1/2 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 Salmi Ma i ime S udies 2012, 11:2 Page 4 o 14 www.ma i imes udiesjou nal.com/con en /11/1/2 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 Salmi Ma i ime S udies 2012, 11:2 Page 5 o 14 www.ma i imes udiesjou nal.com/con en /11/1/2 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 Salmi Ma i ime S udies 2012, 11:2 Page 6 o 14 www.ma i imes udiesjou nal.com/con en /11/1/2 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. Salmi Ma i ime S udies 2012, 11:2 Page 7 o 14 www.ma i imes udiesjou nal.com/con en /11/1/2 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. Salmi Ma i ime S udies 2012, 11:2 Page 8 o 14 www.ma i imes udiesjou nal.com/con en /11/1/2 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: Salmi Ma i ime S udies 2012, 11:2 Page 9 o 14 www.ma i imes udiesjou nal.com/con en /11/1/2