Sunken Billions (eBook)

The Economic Justification for Fisheries Reform

Ragnar Arnason, World Bank, Kieran Kelleher, Food and Agriculture Organization, Rolf Willmann (Autoren)

eBook Download: EPUB

2009 | 1. Auflage
The World Bank (Verlag)
978-0-8213-7914-1 (ISBN)

Infos

Economic losses in marine fisheries resulting from poor management, inefficiencies, and overfishing add up to US $50 billion per year. Taken over the last three decades, these losses total over US $2 trillion, a figure roughly equivalent to the GDP of Italy.

The Sunken Billions: The Economic Justification for Fisheries Reform argues that well-managed marine fisheries could turn most of these losses into sustainable economic benefits for millions of fishers and coastal communities.

According to this book, the bulk of losses occur in two main ways. First, depleted fish stocks mean that there are fewer fish to catch, and therefore the cost of finding and catching them is greater than it might be. Second, fleet overcapacity means that the economic benefits of fishing are dissipated due to redundant investment and operating costs. The book stresses that the figure of US $50 billion represents a conservative estimate, as it excludes losses to recreational fisheries and marine tourism as well as losses due to illegal fishing.

The Sunken Billions argues that strengthened fishing rights can provide fishers and fishing communities with incentives to operate in an economically efficient and socially responsible manner. Phasing out subsidies that enhance redundant fishing capacity and harvesting effort will improve efficiency. Greater transparency in allocation of fish resources and greater public accountability for fisheries management and health of fish stocks will help eco-labeling initiatives to certify sustainable fisheries.

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'The Sunken Billions: The Economic Justification for Fisheries Reform' shows the difference between the potential and actual net economic benefits from marine fisheries is about $50 billion per year, or some $2 trillion over the last three decades. If fish stocks were rebuilt, the current marine catch could be achieved with approximately half the current global fishing effort. This illustrates the massive overcapacity of the global fleet. The excess competition for the limited fish resources results in declining productivity, economic inefficiency, and depressed fisher incomes. The focus on the deteriorating biological health of world fisheries has tended to obscure their equally critical economic health. Achieving sustainable fisheries presents challenges not only of biology and ecology, but also of managing political and economic processes and replacing pernicious incentives with those that foster improved governance and responsible stewardship. Improved governance of marine fisheries could regain a substantial part of this annual economic loss and contribute to economic growth. Fisheries governance reform is a long-term process requiring political will and consensus vision, built through broad stakeholder dialogue. Reforms will require investment in good governance, including strengthening marine tenure systems and reducing illegal fishing and harmful subsidies. Realizing the potential economic benefits of fisheries means reducing fishing effort and capacity. To offset the associated social adjustment costs, successful reforms should provide for social safety nets and alternative economic opportunities for affected communities.

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 25.2.2009
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Technik
• Themenwelt: Wirtschaft
• Themenwelt: Weitere Fachgebiete ► Land- / Forstwirtschaft / Fischerei
• ISBN-10: 0-8213-7914-3 / 0821379143
• ISBN-13: 978-0-8213-7914-1 / 9780821379141