Fish Quotas for 2008

With topical timing, the announcement of the new fisheries quotas comes at 2 weeks before the Econ211 essay on "The Economics of Fisheries" is due to be handed in.

'Fair' deal at fisheries summit [BBC]

Cuts in fishing days of 18% and 10% were agreed for Scotland's west coast and the North Sea respectively, with an 11% rise in the North Sea cod catch.

Crews will also be "given back" days at sea for helping conservation measures.

Representatives of the Scottish fishing industry were "cautiously optimistic" about the deal.

But Greenpeace said the EU was continuing policies that are dragging the seas "to a point of no return," while the WWF accused European ministers of having "gambled on the future" of cod stocks with the strategy.

There is economics and political economy all over this deal. Does it not appear a little short sighted to say that some countries "resisted" tighter controls because fish prices were going up. What do they expect if demand stays the same and supply falls due to over fishing. Just what do they expect to happen to the price of cod if it is overfished past the point of no return (Newfoundland know all about this)?

Then there is the incentives and motivation of your average fisheries minister. Are they looking out for the fish or the voters? Unemployed fisherman are able to lobby and protest far more effectively than your average haddock and certainly get more local and national press.

Some countries resisted moves towards tighter controls, citing the soaring price of fish.

Saskia Richartz, marine policy expert for Greenpeace, was furious with the new deal.

She said it "continues a three-decade long trend of ministerial incompetence that is dragging Europe's seas towards a point of no return.

"The fisheries ministers simply cannot be trusted and more than ever Europe's environment ministers need to be included in future negotiations," she added.

Other links:

I like this question:

Q&A: The 2008 EU fishing quotas [BBC]

If cod is so scarce, why is there no shortage of it in the shops?

Some 90% of the fish consumed in the UK comes from outside the EU, from Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The fish stocks in these fisheries are healthier.

Mixed reaction to fisheries deal [BBC]

Fisheries: Fish Dumping "immoral" and FISH FACTS [Globalisation and the Environment]

and finally an interesting website (from a comment on the above story) with some interesting news items and intelligent and detailed analysis of the Scottish fisheries situation.

http://www.ssacn.org/