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The Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) recently released a report on the blue bioeconomy in the Arctic. In this paper, we discuss the Norwegian policy to promote the Norwegian blue bioeconomy, analysing the government's bioeconomy strategy and its strategy for marine residuals. We find that the strategies have several and partly incompatible goals, related to improving the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of the seafood sector. We discuss challenges and (missed) opportunities in the Norwegian government's strategy for turning the Norwegian economy towards blue growth. Our findings are supported by recent studies that conclude that more efficient and coherent policy actions are needed to ensure the sustainability of the marine bioeconomy.

The Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) recently released a report on the blue bioeconomy in the Arctic. In this paper, we discuss the Norwegian policy to promote the Norwegian blue bioeconomy, analysing the government's bioeconomy strategy and its strategy for marine residuals. We find that the strategies have several and partly incompatible goals, related to improving the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of the seafood sector. We discuss challenges and (missed) opportunities in the Norwegian government's strategy for turning the Norwegian economy towards blue growth. Our findings are supported by recent studies that conclude that more efficient and coherent policy actions are needed to ensure the sustainability of the marine bioeconomy.

This report contains a journal manuscript analysing the development in four bilateral fisheries access agreements that the EU has made with non-member coastal states in terms of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS). The four bilateral fisheries access agreements, today termed Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs) are: the agreement with Capo Verde, Mauritania, Senegal, and the Seychelles. The study analyses the changes in the access agreements over time and how the reforms in the CFP (in 1992, 2002 and 2013) and accompanying changes in regulations addressing the external dimension of the EU fleet, are enshrined in the fisheries access agreements. In addition, some considerations are made on how implementation challenges are reflected in the development of the agreements. The focus is on the formal development of the agreements and how new MCS requirements are introduced and operationalized. The study finds a clear strengthening in the MCS provisions in the EU access agreements over time. The provisions generally follow the development in the CFP and accompanying implementing regulations, in some cases also preceding the enshrinement in EU regulations. At the same time, the analysis shows that even though there is a positive development in the MSC requirements in the agreements, the implementation of new requirements can be slow. The study concludes that on the one hand, this gradual and slow implementation might be a viable approach and a way for the EU to be able to implement its external fisheries policy, in particular when accompanied with capacity building initiatives and increased cooperation. On the other hand, if the MCS requirements are not implemented, and are not adjusted to the actual situation, they may end up as paper-regulations which over time will undermine the credibility of the access agreements.

This document presents the audit of a draft version of the second Management Recommendations (MRs) in the FarFish project. This MR2 draft was updated during the last months of the project considering the second audit recommendations, hence providing a more final MR within the project's lifetime. The audit process is a fundamental step for the implementation of the Results-Based Management (RBM) approach. In RBM, the resource users are directly involved in the management and decision-making process. The relevant authorities continue defining the policy goals but delegate (partly) the responsibility for the planning and implementation of the management means to attain those goals to the resource users. The auditor, as an independent third party, should be able to assess the extent to which these goals have been met (Nielsen et al., 2017). In FarFish, the auditor is enacted by a research institute. However, this role can be taken by any organization with auditing capacity or by a joint audit committee designated by both parties. The audit of the second MRs revealed interesting results in terms of the implementation of the key activities planned for achieving the Outcome Targets (OTs). Several challenges were also found in the implementation and performance of the MRs. Some of the most common challenges referred to coordination and collaboration with the Coastal States or the acting Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO), although when this was in place, the success of the action considerably increased. As the MR of the case study (CS) 1 for the Southwest Atlantic high seas, presented the critical challenge of not having a RFMO, the MR aimed to contribute towards addressing this challenge. The CS2 for the Southeast Atlantic, on the contrary, with a well-established RFMO faced the critical challenge of limited fishing activities in the area, which was reflected in a relatively low interest from the EU operators involved in the project. The high-seas fisheries CS1 and CS2, were subject to a more qualitative ...

This report contains an evaluation of the governance structures of the EU long-distance fishing fleet in the six case studies of the FarFish project. These case studies include two high seas fisheries and four fisheries that are based on Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs) between the EU and coastal states. All of these fisheries are important for the fishing fleets of multiple EU countries or respond to the priorities of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The report focuses on different aspects of both the structural and actor conditions, in particular focusing on monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) of the EU external fishing fleet. For each of the four SFPAs, we present the requirements set within the SFPAs, the legal framework and systems for MCS in the coastal state and their capacity. For the high seas cases, we present the governing framework of the area where such is in place and the practice of managing the EU fleet. For all cases, challenges of and measures to mitigate by-catch and discard issues and IUU fishing are presented. Lastly, we summaries the main findings regarding both achievements and identified challenges for the six case studies. This report is based on available data and synthesizes already existing information. It will function as a primer for further studies in the FarFish project of the governance structure of the EU fisheries outside Europe.

This report synthesises the main findings from the value chain- and governance analysis in FarFish, and point at some potential policy changes that could improve governance of the SFPAs and the high seas fisheries of the European external fishing fleet. This is the final deliverable from work package 3 (WP3) of the FarFish project, containing lessons learned and policy recommendations based on the work conducted in T3.1 Evaluation of governance structures and T3.2 Value chain analysis. The overall objective of FarFish is to improve knowledge on and management of EU fisheries outside Europe, while contributing to sustainability and long-term profitability. To this end, WP3 has conducted value chain analysis and evaluations of the governance structure of the EU external fishing fleet in the selected case studies. The studies have provided insights to how these fisheries are managed and conducted, and how the fisheries are utilized and are contributing to the seafood supply, including to the European market and partner countries. This report synthesises the main findings from these studies. Based on the lessons learned as well as interaction with other areas within the project, we discuss recommendations for potential policy changes that could improve governance of the SFPAs and European high seas fisheries. The fisheries and value chains analysed are highly professional and are based on the different companies' commercial considerations. The recommendations to improve the performance of these companies or to achieve wider socio-economic goals are therefore directed at the potential for changes and improvements by way of regulations. The suggestions would in most cases require further elaboration and discussions, hence the term potential.

The EU is obliged to ensure sustainable utilization of the fisheries' resources to which EU fleets have access to, both in the high seas and through bilateral agreements, based on the principles of good economic and social governance. This is mainly done through cooperation with Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) and national authorities in partnership countries to improve knowledge and management of the fisheries. Inadequate governance of these fisheries can hinder the goal of sustainable utilization of fisheries' resources, resulting in suboptimal or over-exploitation of shared and straddling fish stocks. On the other hand, limited knowledge regarding the processing and market conditions in partner coastal states has contributed to substantial criticism regarding the social and economic benefits that the international fisheries actually bring to the partners' countries. In line with the overall objective of the FarFish project to ensure sustainability and profitability in EU fisheries outside of Europe, this report utilises the knowledge acquired across the different work packages in the FarFish project to identify challenges and opportunities for improvements in the FarFish case studies regarding governance structure, social and economic issues. This analysis is twofold: 1) identification of institutional challenges obstructing the achievement of the intended governance principles as expressed in the relevant fisheries agreements; 2) analysis of the processing and market strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the selected case studies, which are then summarized in the form of road maps, which visualize the pathways towards achieving the ambitions identified for the FarFish project.