Neoliberalism and the politics of enclosure in North American small-scale fisheries

Abstract

This paper reviews the ways in which policies of enclosure, privatization, and deregulation have unfolded in several regions of North America and examines the consequences they have had for small-scale fisheries in practice. This introductory essay provides a brief overview of the history of neoliberal thought, discusses some of the key ways it has influenced fisheries policies in North America and around the world, and presents a thematic overview of the papers included in this special issue.