Crise du territoire à Mayotte : l’exemple de la pêche artisanale

• Main Author: Antoine Wickel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Université de Reims Champagne-Ardennes 2009-05-01
• Series: L'Espace Politique
• Subjects: artisanal fishery; immigration; Mayotte; territorial identity; territoriality
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/espacepolitique/980

Mayotte is a small French island of the Comoros archipelago, in the Mozambique channel. Since few years, Mahoran society knows sudden changing, from the Comorian regional culture to a fast Westernization of lifestyles. These two cultural approaches lead the territory, scene of very important local as international issues, towards an uncertain future.The case of local artisanal fishery, planned to be managed by a new tool (Marine Natural Park), shows us the importance and problems of participative management in overseas French territories. While consultation process and co-construction of territorial resources implies a sort of social and cultural respect (particulary in overseas areas), socio-political context strongly influences that process.Usefulness of the territoriality concept is highlightened in this article. According to this concept, perception of natural resources depends on local culture. Moreover, it reveals some implicit power strategies. Therefore, this study provides some realistic opportunities in the way of consultation within the coastal area, integrating local actors as citizens, developing strategies in a complex set of actors.