The Commission requests that an analysis of balance between fleet capacity and fishing opportunity be made using a standard approach across all EU fleet segments and based on DCF information. Where possible, evaluation should use data reference year 2009 to 2013 or 2014 if data are available. ; peer-reviewed
Expert working groups EWG-14-12 / 14-21 were convened under STECF to assess balance indicators for key fleet segments, review national reports on Member States efforts to achieve balance between fleet capacity and fishing opportunities, and assess Action Plans submitted for fleet segments where Member States identified structural overcapacity. EWG-14-12 was held in Salerno, Italy from the 27-31 October 2014; EWG-14-21 was held in Ispra, Italy from the 13 – 15 January 2015. Independently calculated balance indicators, based on DCF economic data and stock assessment information were provided to experts, and the evaluation of these balance indicators is reported here. Member State fleet capacity reports were assessed by using the scoring system developed and applied in previous STECF EWGs. Fleet segment Action Plans submitted by Member States for fleet segments with identified structural overcapacity as identified by the Member States in their reports in line with Article 22.4 of Regulation (EU) 1380/2013 were evaluated for the first time. The Commission requests that an analysis of balance between fleet capacity and fishing opportunity be made using a standard approach across all EU fleet segments and based on DCF information. Where possible, evaluation should use data reference year 2009 to 2012 or 2013 if data are available. In 2012 the assessed fleet segments represented over 70% of the value of landings of the EU. The objective is to increase this percentage in the next few years. ; peer-reviewed
Subsidies that reduce the costs incurred by fishers and increase profits for the industry can insulate fishers from economic signals, countering the economic incentive to stop fishing when it is unprofitable. Subsidies can thus be a major impediment to achieving economically productive fisheries, exacerbating overexploitation and delaying the necessary industry adjustments, particularly in the absence of effective management systems. Although some fisheries are profitable without government support, several studies have shown that many European fishing fleets are either running losses or returning low profits. In most cases operating costs are higher than gross revenue, resulting in a negative net contribution of fisheries to the economy, the deficit of which is largely funded by subsidies. Thus the cost of fishing to the public budget exceeds the total value of the catches. Recently, fishery subsidies have received much attention with a mounting literature on the urgent need to reduce capacity-enhancing subsidies and begin focusing on developing a profitable and sustainable industry that can adapt to changing economic and environmental conditions. Simple economic models showing how subsidies affect profits and therefore provide incentives for increased fishing effort have accompanied a number of overviews of subsidies published by leading intergovernmental and research institutions. A number of case studies have also illustrated the critical link between fleet capacity and subsidies and that some categories of subsidies are more distorting than others. However, most of the studies have been limited to estimating the value of these subsidies, and usually at the multinational or global level. None so far, to our knowledge, has estimated the economy-wide impact of reducing or eliminating fishing subsidies even though there is a growing consensus that subsidies should gradually be terminated. Moreover, the Fisheries Secretariat believes that capacity enhancing and fuel subsidies should be stopped immediately. Nonetheless, the new financial instrument of the CFP, the European Fisheries Fund (EFF 2007-2013), although an improvement on its previous homologous (FIFG 2000-2006), contains some ambiguous elements, which could open up for further increase of fishing capacity. A long-term approach is needed that encompasses more fundamental changes than using for example more efficient engines that initially reduce fuel consumption but in the long-run worsen the situation by contributing to increasing fishing effort on already overexploited stocks. On account of the global fisheries crises, highly subsidised fisheries and the anticipated reforms of the CFP, this study aims at estimating the impact of eliminating cost-reducing and capacity-enhancing fisheries subsidies on the Azorean economy. In particular, this study sets out to measure the impact of such a shock on various macro and micro variables pertaining to the regional economy using a dynamic CGE model based on a SAM for the Azores. ; N/A
In: Guillen , J , Asche , F , Carvalho , N , Fernández Polanco , J M , Llorente , I , Nielsen , R , Nielsen , M & Villasante , S 2019 , ' Aquaculture subsidies in the European Union : Evolution, impact and future potential for growth ' , Marine Policy , vol. 104 , pp. 19-28 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2019.02.045
Through its structural funds the European Union (EU) has invested €1.17 billion in the aquaculture sector over the period 2000–2014. In addition, the EU plans to spend a further €1.72 billion on the sector over the period 2014–2020 through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). Despite this support, EU aquaculture production has not taken off. Indeed, EU production volume in 2016 was 8% less than in 2000, while global production increased by more than 150%. These investments aim to make the EU aquaculture sector more successful and competitive by focusing on quality, health and safety, as well as, eco-friendly production to provide consumers with high-quality, highly nutritional and trustworthy products. This study provides the first comprehensive overview on the allocation of the different structural funds in the aquaculture sector and across EU Member States from the year 2000–2020. The importance of these subsidies is put into perspective by comparing their evolution within and across the development of the different EU countries' aquaculture sectors. ; Through its structural funds the European Union (EU) has invested €1.17 billion in the aquaculture sector over the period 2000–2014. In addition, the EU plans to spend a further €1.72 billion on the sector over the period 2014–2020 through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). Despite this support, EU aquaculture production has not taken off. Indeed, EU production volume in 2016 was 8% less than in 2000, while global production increased by more than 150%. These investments aim to make the EU aquaculture sector more successful and competitive by focusing on quality, health and safety, as well as, eco-friendly production to provide consumers with high-quality, highly nutritional and trustworthy products. This study provides the first comprehensive overview on the allocation of the different structural funds in the aquaculture sector and across EU Member States from the year 2000–2020. The importance of these subsidies is put into perspective by comparing their evolution within and across the development of the different EU countries' aquaculture sectors.
Through its structural funds the European Union (EU) has invested €1.17 billion in the aquaculture sector over the period 2000–2014. In addition, the EU plans to spend a further €1.72 billion on the sector over the period 2014–2020 through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). Despite this support, EU aquaculture production has not taken off. Indeed, EU production volume in 2016 was 8% less than in 2000, while global production increased by more than 150%. These investments aim to make the EU aquaculture sector more successful and competitive by focusing on quality, health and safety, as well as, eco-friendly production to provide consumers with high-quality, highly nutritional and trustworthy products. This study provides the first comprehensive overview on the allocation of the different structural funds in the aquaculture sector and across EU Member States from the year 2000–2020. The importance of these subsidies is put into perspective by comparing their evolution within and across the development of the different EU countries' aquaculture sectors. ; publishedVersion
8 pages, 3 figures, 3 tables, supporting information http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2016.06.015 ; Most countries have the goal to manage their fisheries to achieve a combination of biological, economic, social, and political objectives [1] and [2]. This is also the case for the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). According to Article 2 of the CFP [3]: "The CFP shall ensure that fishing and aquaculture activities are environmentally sustainable in the long-term and are managed in a way that is consistent with the objectives of achieving economic, social and employment benefits, and of contributing to the availability of food supplies". [.] ; Peer Reviewed
Through its structural funds the European Union (EU) has invested €1.17 billion in the aquaculture sector over the period 2000–2014. In addition, the EU plans to spend a further €1.72 billion on the sector over the period 2014–2020 through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). Despite this support, EU aquaculture production has not taken off. Indeed, EU production volume in 2016 was 8% less than in 2000, while global production increased by more than 150%. These investments aim to make the EU aquaculture sector more successful and competitive by focusing on quality, health and safety, as well as, eco-friendly production to provide consumers with high-quality, highly nutritional and trustworthy products. This study provides the first comprehensive overview on the allocation of the different structural funds in the aquaculture sector and across EU Member States from the year 2000–2020. The importance of these subsidies is put into perspective by comparing their evolution within and across the development of the different EU countries' aquaculture sectors ; SI
Harmful fisheries subsidies have historically contributed to fleet overcapacity and continue to be allocated to the fishing industry to artificially maintain its profitability. However, in this contribution we show that removing harmful subsidies and reducing overfishing will help to recover the resource biomass, subsequently leading to increased levels of sustainable catches, income and well-being of fishers, and reduces inequities in income and consumption when fish stocks are not effectively managed. Maintaining harmful fisheries subsidies is socially and economically inefficient. Taking the example of the EU fishing fleet, one of the largest fishing fleets in the world, we use the total factor productivity to show that small-scale fishing fleet's productivity is almost two-fold in the North Atlantic and 16% higher in the Mediterranean and Black seas compared to large-scale vessels. This result is explained because the harmful fisheries subsidies disproportionately allocated to large-scale vessels introduce distortions in the efficient allocation of inputs. With critical WTO negotiations ongoing regarding the global rules on fisheries subsidies, the EU must take advantage of the opportunity to lead a desirable transformative change while also supporting developing nations to truly achieve global sustainable and equitable fisheries ; This research is supported by the EQUALSEA (Transformative adaptation towards ocean equity) project, under the European Horizon 2020 Program, ERC Consolidator Grant Agreement no 101002784 funded by the European Research Council, and Grupo de Referencia Competitiva GI-2060 AEMI, under Grant ED431C2019/11. S.V thanks the Consellería de Educación da Xunta de Galicia (Galicia, Spain) for additional funding support. U.R.S. and D.J.S. thank the Pew Charitable Trusts and Oceana for their support of work related to harmful fisheries subsidies, and the OceanCanada Partnership supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The opinions expressed in this paper ...