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knowledge (e.g. tagging, monitoring), they are situated as experts of tuna. As we saw in

th
chapter three, new knowledge hierarchies are a result of a shift in the latter part of the 20

century, when the credibility of the captain started to diminish as the discourse of marine

biologists, politicians and state bureaucrats began to prevail (Pálsson 1991, p. 133). In

relation to the differences between fisher knowledge and fishery science knowledge practices,

I have suggested that the term experiential knowledge may be more appropriate than

traditional or local knowledge.

Appeal to Tradition and to Science

My conclusions so far are that within the institutional settings such as the UN and EU, the

tonnara fisher knowledge is precarious because it does not adhere to the traditional/modern,

local/global binaries and because for fisher knowledge to matter, in the context of fishery

science and fishery policy, it must undergo a process of legitimisation and

decontextualisation. The tonnara is already in a state of precarity, struggling to survive on its

quota. As a reminder, in 2013 the tonnara received 165 tonnes, a small portion of the Italian

quota (1950 tonnes) and of the entire TAC (13,400 tonnes). If the tonnara cannot be granted

additional quota from regulatory bodies its future will continue to remain uncertain.

Decisions such as the sale of the entire quota to the Fuentes group will also continue to be

prioritised over the community and the environment. In this uncertain context could the

tonnara appeal for additional quota based on traditional rights, as other fisheries have done in

the past? In this setting the term tradition (traditional fisher rights) matters significantly.

Once back in Sydney I called Giuliano to ask him about his experience appealing to

fishery authorities for quota based on the notion of tradition. My assumption was that the

addition of the sea cages and Maltese ranches would undermine its status as traditional due to

the limitations of the term tradition. Even though definitions of traditional and local

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