How can Global Overfishing be Stopped? – Through Cooperation, says Researcher

Laws alone are not enough to stop global overfishing. That is the view of researcher Frida Bengtsson, who has investigated what else is needed to create a sustainable fishing industry.

In her doctoral thesis from the Stockholm Resilience Centre, Frida Bengtsson highlights voluntary commitments as important for bringing about change. That is, getting more people to do more than the minimum required of them and to join forces with others to better solve common problems.

‘It’s about doing more than the minimum,’ says Frida Bengtsson.

For this to happen, the players need to trust each other. This may seem impossible to achieve in a large-scale industry with complex ownership structures and operations that often span several continents. But Frida’s research shows that it is possible, and that it can be effective.

‘Some of this comes from quite conflict-ridden situations. It’s not like you sit down and immediately agree on everything. I don’t think you should be afraid that conflict can also build trust,’ says Frida.

Furthermore, the thesis shows that the fishing industry is not always as complex and impossible to understand as one might think. It is possible to gain a better understanding of the players involved and demand greater transparency than is currently the case.

We would like to clarify that Frida Bengtsson is the new Country Director for Greenpeace Sweden as of 11 November and is no longer affiliated with the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

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