Compliance in the Barents Sea fisheries. How fishermen account for conformity with rules

The article provides the results of an investigation of compliance in the Barents Sea fisheries, based on personal interviews with a selection of Norwegian and Russian fishermen. Previous studies have indicated a generally high level of compliance in this particular fishery, and the theme of the present article is how fishermen themselves explain this tendency to behave in conformity with established rules. The main conclusion is that the extent of surveillance seems to be less important than the legitimacy of management bodies. Of particular interest is the fishermen’s emphasis on a forthcoming and respectful attitude on the part of inspectors.