Provocation
Guri Hjallen Eriksen, PhD Candidate SALT Lofoten/University of Oslo shares a provocation on the future of Skrei and the fisheries law.
We have come far in establishing international best practices for fisheries governance. The challenge is, however, that we still seem far away from achieving sustainability goals. Why is this so? This is obviously a complex question that needs a broad analysis. I believe that one reason
is that domestic legislation and cultural context for too long have been ignored on the policy agenda. The problem is that domestic legal issues are often seen as technicalities. This can make the implementation of international principles less effective, or in worst cases not working at all, at the national level. There is, however, growing attention to the role of regulator and legislative processes for achieving effective regulation. By this, I mean how to develop regulations that are complied to and can be afforded, how scientific uncertainty should be addressed, and how policy
goals should be balanced to make legislation flexible, predictable and legitimate.
Domestic law is not the only answer, but it can be a valuable instrument for combining and tailoring knowledge from social sciences, biology and economics into legislation that can work.
Is it possible to implement international commitments without a deep understanding, and regard to, local circumstances and domestic legislation?