Giulio Pontecorvo

The enclosure of the marine commons: Adjustment and redistribution in world fisheries☆☆☆

‘Legal authorities differ on the use of the term ‘commons’ and ‘common properly’. Some assert that the oceans never were ‘res communis’ but rather were ‘res nullius’ nobody’s property. Since the literature of the economics of fisheries uses the term ‘common property’ to refer to fish stocks (assets) in the ocean, that usage is followed here. A second issue is the legal status of the Extended Economic Zone (EEZ). The Law of the Sea Convention rejected ihe idea of revenue sharing in the EEZs and therefore gave (with some ambiguous constraints) de facto control of the resources to the coastal state. Freedom of transit (innocent passage) through the EEZ is retained, therefore the actual legal status of the EEZ involves a mix of coastal state and other national rights, see G. Pontecorvo, editor, The New Order of the Oceans: The Advent continued on page 362 Adjustment and redistribution in world fisheries

A small core fishery:: a new approach to fisheries management

A new approach to fisheries management is suggested. Recognizing the great uncertainty and variability that affects the supply of fish, combined with the immobility of capital and labor in the industry, a small core fishery should be maintained with the capacity to catch only the quantity of fish that it would be safe to catch as the stock approaches the lower limits of its natural cycle. When fish are abundant, the excess would be auctioned to risk takers who have neither a permanent commitment to, nor multi-year fishing rights in, the fishery.

Insularity of scientific disciplines and uncertainty about supply: the two keys to the failure of fisheries management

The roots of the failure of the current system of the management in commercial fisheries, variability of the supply function and interdisciplinary problems are analyzed. Variability in the supply function is linked to our increasing understanding of the importance of the complexity of changes in the ocean environment and human predation on fish stocks. This emphasis on environmental change opens up new approaches to management.

Supply side uncertainty and the management of commercial fisheries:: Peruvian Anchovetta, an illustration

Variations in fish stocks are at the heart of the difficulties in managing commercial fisheries. The Peruvian Anchovetta fishery provides an excellent illustration of the problems posed to the industry and government regulators by wide swings in abundance associated with climatic change. This note gives a quantitative measure of the linkage between the Enso index (El Nino) and stock abundance. In doing so it opens up the question of the relative efficiency of current management techniques, such as ITQs, as management tools. Finally, it questions the utility of using small pelagics as fish meal.

Reflections on the Failures of Ocean Fisheries Management

Here is a fascinating case study in government regulation: the fishing industry. Many of the worlds fisheries are in crisis, with stocks greatly depleted. Blame is usually attributed to overfishing, caused by irresponsible regulation, subsidies, politics, and greedy fishermen. The environment plays some role. The authors argue there are other causes and that recognition of these factors leads to the conclusion that more conservationist fishery policies that are less sensitive to the inadequate results of fisheries science must be adopted if existing wild marine fisheries are to survive.

Ocean Science and Mutual Assistance: An Uneasy Alliance

Abstract The current negotiations over the Law of the Sea are concerned, in part, with the question of the freedom of scientific research in the oceans. Historically, the narrow definition of the territorial sea favored by the major maritime powers has enabled ocean scientists to work reasonably freely throughout the world. Since World War II, two developments—the seaward extension of national jurisdiction and the attitudes of certain developing countries toward the role of science in society—have begun to impinge on the freedom of ocean scientists to carry on their work where they think it appropriate. Programs of mutual assistance aimed at improving the capability of developing States in ocean science are one way of improving international relations and thereby creating a climate which will enable scientific work to continue relatively unimpeded. This paper examines the assumption that mutual assistance programs are a way to maintain freedom for ocean science. It also examines the necessary conditions f...

Fishery statistics: What we need to know

Abstract A recent exchange of papers articulated the need for revision and extensions of the existing data set on the worlds catch of ocean fish. The suggested revisions involve linking the existing Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) geographical areas with currently defined extended economic zones (EEZs) and an improved ability to obtain data on specific key species offish that are important for conservation or commercial purposes or both. The suggested extensions involve the inclusion of economic data primarily on capital, labor, and fishing effort in the FAO data set. Given a consensus on the need for an improved data base, the next question is: Of the many options available, what statistics at what cost and for what set of end users should be prepared.

Economic rationalization of fisheries: The problem of conflicting national interests on Georges Bank

Abstract As world food supplies become tighter, the potential value of the Northwest Atlantic fisheries will steadily increase. The wasteful and exploitative practices of the past must therefore be brought to an end and optimal management practices instituted. Optimal management practices will not, however, be easy to institute. It may be both difficult and extremely costly to attempt to manage the biomass through some information system and control mechanism.