Resource management and institutions in Northern Spain's fisheries. Basque fishermen guilds (18th to early 20th centuries)

This paper examines the interplay between fishing communities, marine ecosystems, and institutional arrangements along the Basque coast from the eighteenth to the early twentieth century. Drawing on archival evidence, it analyses how Basque maritime guilds built a resilient system for managing common-pool resources through monopolistic control over access to fishing grounds and fish markets, underpinned by their role in the naval recruitment system. Guilds operated as risk-management institutions that helped communities cope with ecological and economic uncertainties through the collective organisation of fishing activities, regulated fishing seasons, centralised auctions, and mutual aid mechanisms. However, this framework underwent profound transformations in the late nineteenth century due to institutional reforms and technological advances. The abolition of the Matrícula de Mar (Maritime Registry) in 1873 undermined the legal foundation of the guilds’ monopoly, while steam trawling introduced new pressures on fishing grounds and markets. Rather than collapsing, many guilds adapted, preserving elements of their risk-pooling and coordination functions. Their persistence points to the resilience of informal institutions rooted in shared community norms and practices.