The Italian Job: Navigating the (Im)Perfect Storm of Participatory Fisheries Research in the Northern Adriatic Sea

In fisheries management there is now a broad consensus on the importance of including and integrating fishermen and their knowledge. This shift reflected by the latest reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy indicates, at least in principle, a move away from the traditional centralised ‘top-down’ model to a more decentralised ‘networked’ system of governance. What happens though to this ideal of participation when there is limited agreement about what the problems are and how to handle them? The GAP project case study in Chioggia, located in the Northern Adriatic, provides an opportunity to illustrate this question through exploring the differing perceptions and competing narratives surrounding ‘la crisi’ (the crisis) in the fisheries in question. Simply put, ‘la crisi’ represents a crisis in the sector, with stock collapse and the ruination of local fisheries-based livelihoods a likely outcome should the status quo be maintained. This perspective is held by many fishermen and a number of scientists working with them and yet is opposed by a counter narrative of ‘stability and ecosystem health’, promoted by regional fisheries managers and affiliated scientists. The Chioggia case study, a participatory research initiative between scientists and local fishermen, seeks to bridge this gap in knowledge by mapping the spatial and temporal distribution of resources and fishing effort in the Northern Adriatic Sea. The paper emphasises the challenges and opportunities that this research collaboration entails and assesses its capacity to catalyse or inhibit the conditions necessary for mobilising collective action in fisheries management.