Page 242 - 《水产学报》2025年第8期

何妤如 水产学报, 2025, 49(8): 089319

to overfished species such as Pacific bluefin tuna. rangements are anchored in the spatial distribution
Small-State clubbed governance. Take the of fish stocks and serve to mitigate mismatches
management of FADs by purse seine countries in between ecological and governance scales. Within
the WCPO as an example. CMM2009-02 of the this scalar framework, fisheries actors at each level
WCPFC provides restrictive regulations on the use strategically employ scale as a power lever, enga-
of FADs on the high seas, specifying that a single ging in dynamic negotiations to recalibrate legitim-
vessel should deploy no more than 350 FADs dur- acy, authority, and relative influence. Through tac-
ing its operation, and auxiliary vessels should not tics of upscaling, downscaling and rescaling, these
[41]
assist purse seine vessels in deployment . Tempor- actors continuously adjust power dynamics to max-
ally, one FADs-closure period must be chosen imize their interests within the fisheries sector.
between April-May or November-December each However, artificially constructed management
year, with a mandatory closure from July 15 to scales remain contentious, and spatial governance
September 1. Such strict regulations compress the innovations of RFMOs risk falling into the scalar
space for high seas fishing effort increase. trap, where mismatches between jurisdictional
However, the PNA members have used the WCPFC boundaries and ecological or operational realities
rules of procedure to impede the extension of FADs undermine effectiveness. Multi-level collaboration,
deployment restrictions to areas under their jurisdic- while fostering inclusivity, often entails efficiency
tion by issuing exemption certificates to fishing ves- trade-offs, and the expansion of participatory rights
sels operating in their EEZs. This prompts high seas may dilute centralized control, largely contributing
fleets to transition into their Vessel Day Scheme to to a “tragedy of the anti-commons” featured by
bid for fishing days and FADs, helping these Pacific fragmented authority and suboptimal resource alloc-
SIDs to gain more economic benefits.
ation.
With the BBNJ Agreement’s entry into force
4 CONCLUSION
potentially in 2025, global ocean governance will
Scalar politics is characterized by struggles transition into its 3.0 era. The future restructuring of
over scale and reconfiguration of authority, where fisheries relations and redistribution of fishing
scales are used not only as an instrumental tool or rights will extend beyond mere adjustments to exist-
structural framework for altering power relations, ing scales, addressing regulatory gaps in high-seas
but also as a target and arena of contestation. In the areas not yet governed by RFMOs. Navigating com-
context of fisheries governance, the restructuring of peting interests presents a pressing challenge for
power relations among relevant actors across spa- engaging fisheries actors at different scales. Amid
tial scales has given rise to new governance dynam- the clustering of international ocean legal mechan-
ics. Global instruments such as the BBNJ Agree- isms, fisheries narrative can be strategically
ment will provide normative guidance once in advanced at global, regional, subregional and
force; regional organizations, particularly RFMOs, national scales. By leveraging its proposal rights, a
are tasked with coordinating resource conservation State can seek to institutionalize its claims as bind-
and management efforts; while mosaic participants ing conservation and management measures within
facilitate implementation through legislative and established governance scales while simultaneously
policy adaptations. shaping new rules and systems to amplify its global
As an eco-scalar fix, RFMOs institutionalize influence. In scales where governance frameworks
their governance through scalar arrangements, remain underdeveloped, power dynamics can be
including jurisdictional boundaries, governance flexibly recalibrated through scalar politics, steer-
hierarchies, and regulatory expressions. These ar- ing international and regional marine fisheries co-

https://www.china-fishery.cn 中国水产学会主办 sponsored by China Society of Fisheries
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