Institutional relations in the small-scale fisheries sector and impact of regulation in an area of southern Italy

This article is part of a broader study of the fishery system in a coastal area of Southern Italy. It presents a description of the main features of the fishing sectors in the five ports of the southernmost part of Tyrrhenian coast of the Reggio Calabria province, as derived from personal interviews to key informants. Such description contributes to an understanding of the key elements of the economic, social and political environment surrounding the small-scale fishery sector and its performance, both from a narrow economic and a broader development perspective. Further data, obtained by structured interviews to a sample of fishermen, provide information on the relations that fishermen entertain with cooperatives and other professional organizations. The main conclusion is that the system of such relations is still weak, heavily conditioned by some of the problems that resulted from the imposition, long time ago, of environmentally-motivated restrictions to the fishing activity in the area, which have all but been resolved. Lack of transparent, reliable information on the real environmental impact and sustainability of traditional practices contributes to create an environment that does not encourage active participation.