Paper short abstract:

The lecture deals with the impacts of European fishery policies on the local level and analyses from a cultural point of view how fishermen in Murcia (Spain) try to confront the deep crisis in their sector.

Paper long abstract:

In April 2009 the European Commission published the "Green Book" (COM(2009)163 final) that contains an evaluation of the last 20 years policies. It concludes that the policies have failed and invites to participate in the development of a new policy. Starting from this crossroads the lecture analyses from an anthropological point of view which transformations of fishermen’s cultures and costal societies will be brought forward and which ones will be undermined.

There are a plenty of different stakeholders involved in this process which have to be taken into account. Apart from the EU we talk about the nation-states, professional associations, trade unions, nature conservation organizations, aquaculture companies etc. All of them participate with different interests. And they use specific interpretations and images in order to achieve their aims.

The discourses that take place in this field, will be explained with the example of the Region of Murcia at the Mediterranean Sea, where coastal fishery is behind the eight ball. The number of fishermen is decreasing, and the few left struggle through because of high prices of fuel and low prices for fish provoked by fishfarming and worldwide competition. Our attempt is to provide an anthropological point of view on the debate about European fishery focusing on the way how fishermen in Murcia experience this situation and how these self-employed workers face the deep crisis in their sector.