Abstract
Emboldened by the UN’s Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other international human rights instruments, the Sami of Norway have been criticizing fisheries authorities for being blind to their particular rights, interests, and concerns. With the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines), they have yet another opportunity to raise their concerns, as the rights of indigenous peoples are addressed in many chapters and paragraphs throughout the SSF Guidelines. Sami claims to fishing rights have, however, been met with resistance from Norwegian fisheries authorities and non-Sami fisher organizations. The institutional reforms initiated in recent years to accommodate Sami demands have been limited and not eased tensions. If this experience of institutional reforms is anything to go by, there is reason to believe that the implementation of the SSF Guidelines will be far from smooth. This chapter addresses the obstacles that implementation is likely to meet and also what opportunities exist as far as Sami fisheries management and tenure rights are concerned. More particularly, the chapter describes the functioning of a new governing institution, the Fjord Fisheries Board (FFB), established in 2014 as a vehicle for securing the sustainability of Sami small-scale fisheries in the fjords of northern Norway. It is argued that any positive outcome as a result of the FFB’s formation will depend on the its ability to integrate indigenous values, norms, and principles in its work and on the Norwegian government’s willingness to back the FFB not just in principle but also in practice. For the Norwegian government, the FFB may become an important instrument to help Norway fulfill its commitment to the SSF Guidelines. The chapter also explores what lessons can be learned from the FFB experience as far as the implementation of the SSF Guidelines is concerned.
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- 1.
The cod quotas for individual fishing vessels, which replaced a total quota for all cod fishers north of the 62nd parallel, was introduced in response to a rapidly declining cod stock. Many small-scale fishers in northern Norway felt they were on the losing side of the policy, because the highest quotas seemed to be reserved for the biggest, most capital-intensive vessels (Eythórsson 2008).
- 2.
The Norwegian Sami Parliament (in Sami ‘Samediggi’) is the main political institution for strengthening the Sami’s political, social, and cultural position. It is a democratically elected body comprised of 39 representatives elected from seven districts every 4 years. Only those listed in the Sami Electoral Register have the right to vote. The central government has transferred authority to the Sami Parliament in some areas, primarily those concerning preservation of Sami cultural heritage, education, language, and culture. The Sami Parliament is a mandatory body that has to be consulted on matters of special concern to the Sami population (www.samediggi.no).
- 3.
When the current government took office in 2012, it merged this ministry with another ministry. The new ministry is the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries (https://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/nfd/id709/). To simplify the term, ministry is used hereafter.
- 4.
In Norwegian, it is ‘Lov om forvaltning av viltlevande marine ressursar (havressurslova).’
- 5.
- 6.
Cf. Lov om forvaltning av viltlevande marine ressursar (havressurslova) § 11.
- 7.
Press release from the Ministry, March 16, 2012 (https://www.regjeringen.no/no/aktuelt/lovforslag-om-oppfolging-av-kystfiskeutv/id675338/. Accessed 30 March 2014). In her speech on the 25th anniversary of the Sami Parliament in 2014, the fisheries minister Aspaker stated: The Fjord Fisheries Board shall be an important advisor to the fisheries authorities. The board shall help to ensure that Sami marine interests, local knowledge and practical concerns related to fjord fisheries are dealt with when regulations are determined. (Our translation) http://www.samedigge.no/Sammedikke-birra/Duogasj/Samediggi-25-jagi/Hilsningstale-av-fiskeriminister-Elisabeth-Aspaker. Accessed 19 January 2016).
- 8.
Cf. the Sami Parliament’s resolution included as Appendix 5 to Proposition to the Parliament (Prop. 70 L 2011–2012).
- 9.
Similarly, in a letter dated December 12, 2015, to the Ministry and copied to the FFB, the FFA and FFA Nordland, Ministry, the NFA and the Nordland Herring Fisher’s Association expressed the view that it is ‘highly discriminatory that ethnicity should decide which fisheries regulations should apply’. The association also disagreed with the idea that residence should have any significance, as ‘it is also discriminatory to fishers who do not live in the municipalities which are covered by this arrangement’. (Our translation).
- 10.
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Jentoft, S., Søreng, S.U. (2017). Securing Sustainable Sami Small-Scale Fisheries in Norway: Implementing the Guidelines. In: Jentoft, S., Chuenpagdee, R., Barragán-Paladines, M., Franz, N. (eds) The Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines. MARE Publication Series, vol 14. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55074-9_13
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