Evaluation of stakeholder perspectives on the management of the stalked barnacles (Pollicipes pollicipes) resource in the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina, Portugal

The stalked barnacle, Pollicipes pollicipes, is a shellfish resource which has been traditionally harvested by the coastal communities of the Iberian Peninsula. However, in recent years Pollicipes has attracted increased harvesting pressure due to its high market value. In a national park on the south-western coast of Portugal, legislation was formulated to address the overharvesting of this resource; however, its success has been limited due to lack of consensus among stakeholders. A Systems Approach Framework (SAF) was used to assess the socio-economic and cultural issues surrounding the harvest of Pollicipes. As part of this, interviews and a questionnaire survey were undertaken in the municipality of Vila do Bispo, in order to explore the perspectives of the shell fishers, local residents and restaurateurs. The majority of the stakeholders believed that the resource was overharvested and that their needs should be considered as part of the legislation formulation process. The stakeholders also agreed that the local market should be re-established and that the temporal closure period should be reconsidered. Stakeholder opinions differed with regard to the level of coastal management enforcement required, the licence distribution process and the restrictions implemented by national park authorities. It is concluded that using information such as that gathered from local stakeholders, it should be possible to effectively extend the SAF to simulate scenarios for future management options.