The Spanish Mediterranean Fishing Guilds (Cofradias): An Example of Collaborative Management with a Key Role in Sustainable Fisheries

[EN] The management of Spanish coastal fisheries is based on a mixed model where the centralised action of the government is combined with the self-organisation of fishers in cofradias (guilds). These institutions have economic and political functions, intermediating between the State and the fishing sector and mediating in the conflicts that may occur. They also have welfare and mutualist tasks. This original and traditional co-management model is part of the social capital of traditional Spanish fishing. The aim of this article is to explore the possibilities of these Spanish fishers' organisations in order to improve the legitimacy of the fishery system and the sustainability of fisheries. Our hypothesis is that updating and adapting some aspects of the cofradias model could produce efficient forms of collaborative management and lead to improvements in the sustainability of fisheries. To validate this hypothesis the study analysed 69 face-to-face interviews in 21 Spanish-Mediterranean guilds. The analysis focused on three core aspects: the control of fishing resources; the integration of fishing knowledge in the management system; and, finally, the guilds contribution to the legitimacy of the system in the eyes of the fishers.This work was supported by National Plan for Scientific and Technological Research and Innovation (Spanish Economy and Competitiveness Ministry). Research Project CSO2016-76135-P. There is no conflict of interest declared in this article.Herrera-Racionero, P.; Lizcano, E.; Miret Pastor, LG.; Mascarell, Y. (2019). The Spanish Mediterranean Fishing Guilds (Cofradias): An Example of Collaborative Management with a Key Role in Sustainable Fisheries. Fisheries. 44(4):172-182. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsh.10224S172182444Alegret J. L.1999.Gestión comunitaria cogestión y mercado. 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The influence of picocyanobacterial photosynthesis on calcite precipitation

This study assessed the role of picocyanobacterial photosynthesis in the induction of calcite precipitation. It aimed at establishing whether photosynthetic uptake of bicarbonate by Synechoccoccus cells leads to calcite nucleation. The precipitation of calcite was initiated by addition of previously washed cyanobacterial cells of Synechococcus strain PCC 7942 to solutions of calcium carbonate at different saturation levels with respect to calcite. Precipitation experiments were performed under controlled laboratory conditions in two set-ups: one in which photosynthesis was inhibited using a herbicide called Diuron and the other one in which photosynthesis was taking place. During the experiments, a pH meter monitored the pH and ion selective electrodes monitored concentrations of carbonate and calcium ions. The morphology of the precipitated crystals was analysed using Scanning Electron Microscopy. When the kinetics of calcium carbonate nucleation by the Synechococcus cells were compared for the two sets of experiments, there were very little differences. In fact, the induction times for precipitation reactions with photosynthesis were shorter due to the uptake of carbon dioxide. It is therefore, concluded that photosynthesis does not directly influence the nucleation of calcite at the surface of Synechococcus cells with sufficient supply of carbon dioxide, i.e. cells took up carbon dioxide and not bicarbonate. The microscopic observations, however, provided some evidence that picocyanobacterial cell walls act as a template for calcite nucleation