Trends, drivers, and lessons from a long-term data series of the Asturian (northern Spain) gooseneck barnacle territorial use rights system

The Asturian gooseneck barnacle (Pollicipes pollicipes Gmelin, 1790) fishery has been managed through territorial use rights in fisheries (TURFs) since its inception >20 yrs ago. As part of this agreement, fishers are allotted exclusive extraction rights and active participation in management strategies. In return for these rights, fishers are responsible for gathering data on effort and extraction in the fishery. We used the extensive time-series gathered by the fishers to assess the sustainability of the fishery. Additionally, we used survey techniques to explore the social-ecological drivers of this sustainability. The fishery has succeeded in maintaining or increasing catch per unit effort in all TURFs. Furthermore, the system has received public approval, where 73% of the stakeholders indicated that the only way to maintain a sustainable gooseneck barnacle fishery in Asturias is through the current management regime. The system has contributed to the sustainability of the fishery via: (1) creating a window of opportunity for management of the resource; (2) the continuous incorporation of scientific information and fishers' knowledge into management frameworks; (3) empowerment of the resource users; (4) embracing adaptive capacity through flexible management guidelines; and (5) matching management scales with the main life-history traits of the species. As in any dynamic system, the gooseneck barnacle fishery is currently faced with important challenges that might impact its sustainability, indicating that there are no simple recipes for fisheries management. Nonetheless, this system provides a set of basic principles for TURFs, which may be conducive to adaptive and sustainable fisheries.