Small-scale fisheries in the Emilia-Romagna region: structural, social and market issues

Small-scale fisheries play an important role in the regional fishing industry of Emilia-Romagna, an Adriatic region located in the north-east of Italy. However, when comparing regional data with national averages, some peculiarities do emerge. To gain a deeper understanding of the situation of small-scale fisheries in the region, a survey has been performed through by interviewing a sample of fishers. This study is also focused on the added value issue. In fact, local fish products have low prices on the market; for this very reason, the regional public authority has been interested in creating a collective brand involving all stakeholders in the supply chain. The perspectives from the fishers and other parties regarding the potential offered by such a brand are discussed in this paper.