The precautionary principle in fisheries management

The precautionary principle has become a reference rule for public actions and policies. Two conceptions coexist under this principle. The first one, based on the strengthening of the concept of environmental protection, aims to promote a prevention proportional to the potential risks. The second one looks for the eradication of risks and it may even require the "proof demand" of innocuousness. The application of the precautionary principle in the fishing sector became established as a reaction in view of the state of resources and the lack of efficacy to guarantee the sustainability of the exploitations. This document tries to stress the application of the precautionary principle in the framework of fisheries. First, it examines the concept of precaution, then it evaluates the concepts applied in the community policy, and thirdly, it concludes by pointing out the problems derived from its implementation. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.