Book Description

The problems of controlling fishing effort are reviewed. Any method should satisfy certain criteria - maintaining the productivity of the resource, economic performance and equity (or social needs). The methods of achieving these objectives are reviewed; they include the setting of catch limits, direct control of fleet capacity (e.g. restricting the number of fishing units), indirect measures (mesh size, closed areas), financial measures and the establishment of property rights to fishing areas or quantities of fish. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach are discussed in the light of the established criteria and appropriate techniques are given for six specific types of fisheries.