National Policy Objectives and Local Management Results: The Economic, Social, and Environmental Performances of Shellfish-Farming Institutions in the Mont-Saint-Michel Bay (France)

Local management of shellfish farming in Mont-Saint-Michel Bay, France, has successfully prevented overexploitation but fails to align with national policy goals for economic equity and public revenue. The study reveals discrepancies between national objectives—aimed at sustainable marine resource use—and local outcomes, driven by institutional arrangements that overlook conflicting interests, information asymmetries, and unequal bargaining power. While mussel and oyster industries perform well environmentally, socioeconomic results such as rent distribution and job retention fall short of policy expectations. This suggests that the national regulatory framework did not adequately account for these factors, which, combined with opaque transferable use rights, shape local management processes.

Mongruel, R., & Pérez Agúndez, J. A. (2012). National Policy Objectives and Local Management Results: The Economic, Social, and Environmental Performances of Shellfish-Farming Institutions in the Mont-Saint-Michel Bay (France). Society & Natural Resources, 25(4), 352–367. https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2011.560593