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7 The European Common Fisheries Policy: An Economic Approach to Overfishing Solutions

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Fernando González Laxe7 The European Common Fisheries Policy:An Economic Approach to OverfishingSolutionsOverfishing is a world problem with a significant number of social, economic,and environmental consequences. Every day, millions of people depend onfish, not only as a direct source of food, but also as a way of working. Now,more than ever, oceans and seas are faced with a serious challenge when itcomes to meeting the food needs of the growing population from both develop-ing and developed countries. Progress in vessel equipment and fishing methodsmakes possible the fishing of a higher number of species at more remote distan-ces away from port and at depths over 1,000 meters. All these factors have abig impact on the stock growth.Over the last few years, world consequences of overfishing have been scru-tinized by scientists, economists, and public officials, accounting for a levelthat does not ensure sustainability; that is to say, they directly affect fish stockrecovery. Moreover, overfishing has become a threat to social progress and toeconomic prosperity in many countries, particularly in certain communitiesand areas that mainly depend on fishing.Fishing becomes a key element in the diet of the population, and in somecountries fish represents 50 percent of an average diet. A decrease in fish stocksin some coastal areas reduces access to this source of sustenance for a substan-tial number of people in the world. Likewise, an increase in fishing activitiesbeyond the limits of biological sustainability poses a serious risk to marine life.This chapter explores the causes of overfishing. It focuses on economic fac-tors and highlights the current concerns of the European Union, which hasoverfishing regulation as one of its main objectives.DefinitionOverfishing entails catching an excessive volume of fish, which jeopardizes the re-production of marine species. Overfishing accounts for the situation in which ex-ploitation of natural resources surpasses the rate of repopulation. In other words,continuous exploitation can lead to a total destruction of the resource. We talkabout overfishing when an increase in fishing activity involves a reduction in fishhttps://doi.org/10.1515/9783110641738-008
© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Munich/Boston

Fernando González Laxe7 The European Common Fisheries Policy:An Economic Approach to OverfishingSolutionsOverfishing is a world problem with a significant number of social, economic,and environmental consequences. Every day, millions of people depend onfish, not only as a direct source of food, but also as a way of working. Now,more than ever, oceans and seas are faced with a serious challenge when itcomes to meeting the food needs of the growing population from both develop-ing and developed countries. Progress in vessel equipment and fishing methodsmakes possible the fishing of a higher number of species at more remote distan-ces away from port and at depths over 1,000 meters. All these factors have abig impact on the stock growth.Over the last few years, world consequences of overfishing have been scru-tinized by scientists, economists, and public officials, accounting for a levelthat does not ensure sustainability; that is to say, they directly affect fish stockrecovery. Moreover, overfishing has become a threat to social progress and toeconomic prosperity in many countries, particularly in certain communitiesand areas that mainly depend on fishing.Fishing becomes a key element in the diet of the population, and in somecountries fish represents 50 percent of an average diet. A decrease in fish stocksin some coastal areas reduces access to this source of sustenance for a substan-tial number of people in the world. Likewise, an increase in fishing activitiesbeyond the limits of biological sustainability poses a serious risk to marine life.This chapter explores the causes of overfishing. It focuses on economic fac-tors and highlights the current concerns of the European Union, which hasoverfishing regulation as one of its main objectives.DefinitionOverfishing entails catching an excessive volume of fish, which jeopardizes the re-production of marine species. Overfishing accounts for the situation in which ex-ploitation of natural resources surpasses the rate of repopulation. In other words,continuous exploitation can lead to a total destruction of the resource. We talkabout overfishing when an increase in fishing activity involves a reduction in fishhttps://doi.org/10.1515/9783110641738-008
© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Munich/Boston

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Introduction 1
  4. 1 The Modernization of Spanish Fishing: The Case of Galicia, 1880–1936 11
  5. 2 The Social Dilemmas of the Portuguese Sardine: Overfishing, Scientific Knowledge, and Local Communities in the Late Nineteenth Century 29
  6. 3 Between Brussels and the Biologists: The Roots of the Dutch Overfishing Issue 49
  7. 4 Early Lessons on Overfishing from the British Isles 69
  8. 5 Underutilization, Undersupply, and Overfishing in the Herring Industry 1930–1980: A Case Study in the Evolution of Britain’s Productivist Fisheries Policy 87
  9. 6 April 18, 1989: The Acceptance of Overfishing in Norway 109
  10. 7 The European Common Fisheries Policy: An Economic Approach to Overfishing Solutions 129
  11. 8 Towards Ending Overfishing in the European Atlantic: The Role of Environmental Organizations 147
  12. 9 Sustainable European Fisheries: Are We There Yet? 161
  13. 10 A Utopia Under Construction 181
  14. List of Abbreviations 189
  15. Contributors 191
  16. Index 195
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https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110641738-008

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Introduction 1
  4. 1 The Modernization of Spanish Fishing: The Case of Galicia, 1880–1936 11
  5. 2 The Social Dilemmas of the Portuguese Sardine: Overfishing, Scientific Knowledge, and Local Communities in the Late Nineteenth Century 29
  6. 3 Between Brussels and the Biologists: The Roots of the Dutch Overfishing Issue 49
  7. 4 Early Lessons on Overfishing from the British Isles 69
  8. 5 Underutilization, Undersupply, and Overfishing in the Herring Industry 1930–1980: A Case Study in the Evolution of Britain’s Productivist Fisheries Policy 87
  9. 6 April 18, 1989: The Acceptance of Overfishing in Norway 109
  10. 7 The European Common Fisheries Policy: An Economic Approach to Overfishing Solutions 129
  11. 8 Towards Ending Overfishing in the European Atlantic: The Role of Environmental Organizations 147
  12. 9 Sustainable European Fisheries: Are We There Yet? 161
  13. 10 A Utopia Under Construction 181
  14. List of Abbreviations 189
  15. Contributors 191
  16. Index 195
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