West Africa Countries Selling Fishing Rights

www.maritime-executive.com...

Coastal and island countries are increasingly looking to the sea to provide food and jobs for their growing populations in an uncertain global economy. Roughly one third of the world’s assessed fish stocks are considered overfished. Experience shows that well-managed ocean fisheries can provide large economic benefits. In fact, the World Bank estimates that ocean fisheries could provide US$83 billion more each year if better managed.

Many poorer coastal and island countries try to make money by selling access to their fish-abundant waters to companies from richer countries with large fishing fleets.

Such arrangements are widespread. An effort to track industrial fishing vessels, reported in the Science Advances journal in August, found that 78% of large-scale fishing in the waters of lower-income countries was carried out by vessels registered in higher-income nations...The data excluded the economic benefits from landing and processing fish in West Africa, because that is largely done abroad. Vessels typically catch fish in West African waters then transport them overseas for processing and consumption.

win-win? or Western exploitation of the Third World?

large-scale fishing is definitely an iffy subject. many people have the misperception that the whole ocean is full of fish but it is not; almost all the commercially viable fisheries are located on continental shelves, i.e. just off the coasts. and there are lots of big fancy hi-tech superefficient factory fishing ships out there. long way from the little trawlers in the old movies.
what rights do nations have to fish off other nations' coasts? this is an example of how diplomacy and 'world government' institutions are helpful.

These findings do not capture the full economic picture of the trade in West Africa’s coastal fishery. The fact that some foreign fishing companies are applying for new licenses despite appearing to lose money is curious. It suggests they are receiving subsidies or under-reporting their catches. Both may be occurring but the data is too coarse to tell.

hmm interesting...

Tragedy of the Commons.

I’ll go with “Underreporting Their Catches” for $1000, ElGoobero.

Underreported catches of pelagic fish is a problem.

originally posted by: BeefNoMeat
Tragedy of the Commons.

I’ll go with “Underreporting Their Catches” for $1000, ElGoobero.

Underreported catches of pelagic fish is a problem.

...and about impossible to monitor.
I'm all for catching and eating but we have to have some limits. human nature being what it is, these greedheads would catch and sell everything if they could run unrestricted.
and, sure, feeding people is a good thing, but save some for later, no?

I have a major issue with commercial fishermen, as a recreational angler I catch and release all my fish, I do not have an issue with ‘hurting’ fish.

My issue is that farmers have to look after their livestock and breeding, feeding and caring for them (or abusing them if you are bothered about battery chickens) but if you do nothing, you won’t have any livestock.

Fishermen just rape the sea, they take as much as they can and if it weren’t regulated would remove every bit of life in the area they fish. In short, they would quite happily remove every fish in the sea without any concern for future generations.

They don’t monitor and ensure they self regulate and sustain fish stocks, if this happens it is only because they are regulated by other people and they complain about it.

Scum of the earth.

a reply to: BeefNoMeat

It's something of a problem where commercial fishing is heavily regulated, such as here in the US...

In third world countries where enforcement will be less? Yeah, it'll be big issue.

Being Dyslexic i saw this as selling flashing lights for a moment

Poorer countries with a resource based economies develop much slower economically than their counterparts who economies are more varied. What happens with resources is private deals are made with the ruling dictator/junta who gets a handful of cash they proceed to squander on Rolls Royces or squirrel away in a Swiss bank account. The people rarely if ever see economic benefits to selling their resources to nations overseas.

a reply to: Asktheanimals

That is the sad truth of it. There'll be no benefit for those lower down on the food chain.

originally posted by: seagull
a reply to: BeefNoMeat

It's something of a problem where commercial fishing is heavily regulated, such as here in the US...

In third world countries where enforcement will be less? Yeah, it'll be big issue.

What? Underreported catches?

I agree, if what you’re saying is, places where quantity-based instruments are used the problem of underreported catches is mitigated. Fishery collapses have taught stakeholders a great deal. I hope they continue to find a reasonable and profitable balance.

Commercial fishing of pelagic fish in international waters is way more difficult. The article is about coastal waters, but I can’t imagine these higher-income vessels are limited to coastal reefs, bays, etc. As you said, who’s going to tell them what they can and can’t do off of Liberia?