Structural and sociocultural constraints for user-group participation in fisheries management in Mauritius

The article discusses some structural, organizational and sociocultural constraints for increased user-group participation in lagoon fisheries management in Mauritius. It argues that an explanation stressing only organizational barriers and culture specific characteristics among fishermen is inadequate. What also has to be taken into account is how fishermen are perceived by fish managers. Different ethnic and political affiliations and stereotypes influence the interaction and cooperation among the two principal stakeholders and serve to exclude the resource users from any real say in fisheries management. The perceptions and attitudes whereby fishermen are considered passive recipients rather than partners in fisheries management, have often been overlooked and neglected when discussing conditions for user-group participation in fisheries management.