Different kettle of fish : turning around how computer modelling counts for (fisheries) policy-making

ix Acknowledgements . xi List of Abbreviations . xix 1 Introduction . 1 2 Literature review . 11 2.1 Introduction: Departing coordinates . 11 2.2 Technology and politics . 14 2.3 Science and the policy process . 20 2.4 Setting the analytical framework for the thesis . 29 2.4.1 The interactionist co-production of science and politics . 30 2.4.2 The emergence of new socio-technical framings and their fragility in certain contexts . 34 2.5 The troika of (particularly) relevant literatures . 40 2.5.1 Doing science and making policy with computer modelling . 40 2.5.2 Integrated impact assessments in Policy Studies and beyond . 55 2.5.3 The social studies of fisheries governance and its instruments . 60 2.6 Firming up the issues of inquiry . 70 3 Methodological considerations . 73 3.1 Introduction . 73 3.2 Research design . 78 3.2.1 Research strategy: ‘Making sense’ . 78 3.2.2 Research method: Case studies . 79 3.2.3 Case studies selection . 81 3.3 Fieldwork . 85 3.3.1 Preparing for the field . 86 3.3.2 Gaining access . 88 3.3.3 Data collection: Interviews . 90 3.3.4 Data collection: Participant observations . 93 3.4 The analysis and the reflexive analyst . 97 4 The reframing of the EU fisheries policy arena around 2002 . 101 4.1 Introduction . 101 4.2 The regulatory framework for EU fisheries management before 2002 . 103 4.2.1 The prehistory of fisheries management and fisheries science coming into the European Economic Community . 103 4.2.2 How EU fisheries management was institutionalised before 2002 . 109 4.2.3 How EU fisheries scientific advice was institutionalised before 2002 112 4.3 The reform of the Common Fisheries Policy at DG-FISH in 2002 . 117 4.3.1 Regional Advisory Councils . 118 4.3.2 Mixed fisheries . 121 4.3.3 Long-term management plans . 124 4.3.4 Maximum sustainable yields . 126 4.4 The disembarking of the European Commission’s 2002 ‘Better Regulation’ strategy in EU fisheries management . 131 4.5 The problematisation of the scientific stock assessments by the EU fishing industry beyond 2002 . 134 4.6 Conclusions . 141 5 Building a new framing for the North Sea flatfish fishery: The introduction of integrated assessment modelling . 143 5.1 Introduction . 143 5.2 The linear division of labour in the EU fisheries advisory arena . 145 5.2.1 The shifting role of the ICES biologists in the EU fisheries advisory arena . 146 5.2.2 The shifting role of the fisheries economists in the EU fisheries advisory arena . 148 5.3 The long-term management plan for the North Sea flatfish fishery and the request for an integrated impact assessment . 151 5.4 The first workshop of the integrated impact assessment . 156 5.4.1 The organisation of the first workshop . 156 5.4.2 Mobilising economic and biological modelling for the integrated impact assessment . 161 5.4.3 The linear division of labour between biologists and economists comes under pressure . 167 5.5 The second workshop of the integrated impact assessment . 172 5.5.1 The rationale for a second meeting . 172 5.5.2 The organisation of the second workshop . 175 5.5.3 Reviewing the models and their context of application . 177 5.5.4 The emergence of a ‘trading zone’ . 182 5.6 Conclusions . 187 6 Building a new framing for the North Sea flatfish fishery: The introduction of integrated impact assessments . 191 6.1 Introduction . 191 6.2 The prehistory of the integrated impact assessment . 192 6.2.1 The initial advice from the NSRAC to the Commission regarding plaice stocks . 192 6.2.2 The linear division of labour between NSRAC industry stakeholders and IMARES biologists . 198 6.2.3 The request for an ex-ante integrated impact assessment . 201 6.3 A note on the design of the IMARES model . 204 6.4 The NSRAC fishing industry’s empirical ally: Engagement with the modelling in the biological subgroup of the IIA exercise . 207 6.5 The final decision on the long-term management plan for the mixed flatfish fishery in the North Sea . 215 6.6 Conclusions . 221 7 Building a new framing for the North Sea flatfish fishery: The introduction of harvest control rules . 225 7.1 Introduction . 225 7.2 The introduction of the harvest control rule for the North East Arctic cod fishery: A supplementary case study . 227 7.2.1 Setting the stage for the case study . 227 7.2.2 Establishing the harvest control rule for the North East Arctic cod fishery . 236 7.2.3 How the harvest control rule for the North East Arctic cod fishery worked . 243 7.2.4 Reframing the illegal and unreported fishing overflow . 249 7.3 A tailpiece for the North Sea flatfish fishery case study: The implementation of the harvest control rule for plaice and sole . 255 7.4 Conclusions .