Ocean Sustainability: The Danish Fishing Industry

Abstract

The Danish small-scale fisheries (SSF) are facing great challenges within the fishing industry and are thus disappearing, as there is a shift towards large-scale fisheries (LSF), in particularly bottom trawling. Due to the mass production caused by large corporations, fish stocks are depleting at a massive rate, and the ocean floor is being severely damaged. Blue Lobster (BL) entered the industry with a mission to provide fresh fish to consumers by working with SSF. However, the company soon realized the complexity and the difficulties of manoeuvring within the current system. This paper uses a qualitative approach to understand the balance between free market and state intervention when following the case of Blue Lobster. Interviews and relevant documentation are used and analysed together with theories of liberal market economy and green economics. It is found that through the case of Blue Lobster there is sufficient evidence and tools to change the current liberal market economy towards a sustainable economy, thus implementing environmentally friendly policies and regulations. In addition, by supporting SSF, rural areas around Denmark would regenerate, bringing to life the lost communities surrounding the Danish harbours. Therefore, there is a need for state intervention by placing the ocean and the fish at the centre of policies, when facing challenges that are endangering the planet and its people.