How subsidies affect the economic viability of small-scale fisheries |
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| Institution: | 1. Fisheries Economic Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z4;2. Department of Geography, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 230 Elizabeth Ave, St. John''s, NL, Canada A1B 3X9;3. Changing Ocean Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4;4. Sea Around Us, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4;5. The Liu Institute for Global Issues, The University of British Columbia, 6476 NW Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z2;1. Norwegian College of Fishery Science, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway;2. The Faculty of Economics, Nha Trang University, 02 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Nha Trang, Vietnam;1. Memorial University of Newfoundland, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Geography, St John''s, NL, Canada;2. Feaver''s Lane Enterprises Inc., 125 Bond Street, St. John''s, NL, Canada;1. ITAM, Centro de Investigación Económica, Av. Camino Santa Teresa 930, Col. Héroes de Padierna. Del. Magdalena Contreras, C.P. 10700 Mexico, D.F., Mexico;2. Universidad de Vigo, Escuela de Comercio, Calle Torrecedeira 105, 36208 Vigo, Spain;3. AZTI, Txatxarramendi ugartea z/g, 48395 Sukarrieta, Bizkaia, Spain;4. El Colegio de México, Camino al Ajusco No. 20. Col. Pedregal de Sta. Teresa, C.P. 10740 Mexico, D.F., Mexico;5. Universidad de Vigo, Department of Mathematics, Campus Lagoas-Marcosende, 36310 Vigo, Spain;1. U.S. NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA;2. U.S. NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Island Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Boulevard, Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814, USA;1. Department of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan;2. National Research Institute of Fisheries Science, Fisheries Research and Education Agency, 2-12-4 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-8648, Japan |
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| Abstract: | This article presents the first bottom-up analysis of the proportion of global marine fisheries subsidies to small-scale fisheries (SSF). Using existing data, the reported national subsidy amounts are split into the fraction that goes to small- and large-scale fishing sectors. Results reveal a major imbalance in subsidy distribution, with SSF receiving only about 16% of the total global fisheries subsidy amount of $35 billion in 2009. To bring this into perspective, a person engaged in large-scale fishing received around 4 times the amount of subsidies received by their SSF counterparts. Furthermore, almost 90% of capacity-enhancing subsidies, which are known to exacerbate overfishing go to large-scale fisheries, thus increasing the unfair competitive advantage that large-scale fisheries already have. The developmental, economic and social consequences of this inequity are huge and impair the economic viability of the already vulnerable small-scale fishing sector. Conclusions indicate that taxpayers' money should be used to support sustainable fishing practices and in turn ocean conservation, and not to foster the degradation of marine ecosystems, often a result of capacity-enhancing subsidies. Reducing capacity-enhancing subsidies will have minimal negative effects on SSF communities since they receive very little of these subsidies to begin with. Instead, it will help correct the existing inequality, enhance SSF economic viability, and promote global fisheries sustainability. |
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| Keywords: | Economic viability Fisheries subsidies Global subsidy distribution Small-scale fisheries |
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