Abstract
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The principal aim of national oceans policymaking is to identify and assess all current
and future uses of ocean spaces and resources in order to facilitate the making of
effectivemanagement arrangements for them. There are a myriad of actual and potential
uses of the oceans. They can lead to a range of potentially conflicting interests across
different sectors. This means that it is a daunting and politically fraught task to integrate
management of all ocean uses. Fisheries is a key sector that must feature in any effective
national oceans policy. This is because fishing is the most intensive use of marine
space and resources and the fishing industry is a key contributor to many national
economies. A challenge for the incorporation of fisheries interests in national oceans
policymaking is that fisheries is a diverse sector. In addition to commercial fishing,
it includes recreational fishing and, in some countries, indigenous and subsistence
fishing. Fishing also has an international and regional dimension and it overlaps with
aquaculture. This article identifies the range of fisheries interests and considers how
they are incorporated into national oceans policymaking, focusing on Australia and
Canada.