One last bite : the potential for local seafood markets in Sweden : consumers as resource users

Abstract: Over the past 30 to 40 years comprehensive fishery policies and certification schemes have attempted to halt the rapid decline and exploitation of commercial fish stocks. However, with seafood as one of the most globalized food commodities and the world’s population increasing exponentially, most commercial stocks are thought to be on the brink of collapse. Some estimates exclaiming that all commercial stocks will be overfished by 2048, presenting challenges to ecosystems and food security. In the wake of such sustainability challenges the local food movement and sustainable seafood initiatives have surfaced as a means to address them; with burgeoning programs such as community-supported fisheries and other local seafood markets. Through a mixed methods approach this study attempts to contribute to a more holistic understanding of the potential for local seafood markets in Sweden. Three models are analyzed complimented with both qualitative and quantitative data from interviews and questionnaires of stakeholders involved in the fisheries industry. Ostrom’s frameworks for common-pool resources and Social-Ecological Systems, as well as the Theory of Planned Behavior assist in this analysis; focusing on consumers as resource users, and their contribution to the sustainability of Common-Pool Resources through behavioral intention. The research study reveals that there is potential through consumer and producer interest. Community-supported fisheries present a developed model from which to draw from in the Swedish context, as do the Stockholm Fish Market and the Simrishamn South Baltic FLAG. Comprehensive analysis suggests that no one model can be used as a panacea; however, community-supported fisheries adhere to all three pillars of sustainability, encouraging a collaborative and community-based approach to mitigating the challenge of common-pool resource use. Although the study scratches the surface of an under-researched field, it represents an innovative approach to seafood valuation and the involvement of consumers in the management and use of our common fisheries resource.