Gear liberalization in the Northeast Arctic cod fisheries - Implications for sustainability, efficiency and legitimacy

In Norwegian fisheries policy, strict gear regulation is a central instrument actively used to achieve fisheries political objectives. Gear regulations are locked in rigid regulative structures that limit the actors׳ ability to adapt practices to changing conditions. This article shows that gear liberalization could take place within the framework of sustainable resource harvest, while also contributing to improved economic efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Institutions, such as gear regulations, do not exist in a vacuum, but are linked to other institutional structures. Hence, within a framework of sustainability, the relaxation of one regulation may induce new regulations and institutions.