Reintroduction of fishery in Halkaer Aadal : can local participation help to provide sustainable development?

Abstract

The thesis focuses on a local community in Denmark with large amounts of agricultural nourishment polluting the bay. An effort of creating sustainable development is taken by the local habitants. Sustainability is the main goal and includes ecology, economy and social elements. A means towards the goal is a self-sufficient fishery with local participants, which creates two to three jobs. The main approach in the thesis is: “Can a reintroduction of fishery in Halkaer bay, with the local people as driving force, help to provide sustainable development in the area of Halkaer Aadal? ”. Local participants in the political institution and the civil society are politicians from municipalities and county, and the 12 members of the folk association. There are no participants in the economical institution, however some habitants want to become fishermen, and enlightenment, teaching and fresh fish can involve customers. The fishery vision has a strong focus on the economical elements and the technological dimensions “products” and ““organisation”. “Knowledge” and “techniques” is not mentioned. The county’s and municipalities concern is to reduce the pollution. The folk association both as administrators and in the civil society focus on enlightenment, lack of knowledge, and local participation. They can establish the total volume of fishing quota, allocation of quotas and questions of locations to fish by the help of teaching and expert help. The use of historical knowledge can be increased. Mental barriers may be deleted by using previous fishermen’s pride and love for the work, while learning about “cooperatives” can deal with the lack of money. Social events, like “subject-days” can diffuse knowledge and strengthen the common identity. At last, to be able to make the vision of a fishery become a reality, it is a necessity for the local institutions to cooperate and coordinate their initiatives.