The world's fisheries are in serious trouble. Experts say one-fourth of them have collapsed as a result ofover-fishing. At the current rate, a study published in Science twoyears ago predicted that the entire industry would go the same way bythe middle of the century.
To protect fisheries, countries and communities have established catch quotas where fishermen compete for stocks.
ChristopherCostello, an economics professor at the University of California SantaBarbara, says this results in a race to fish, where independentfisherman buy bigger boats and larger nets, all in an effort to outdothe competition.
But Costello says a plan called catch sharescould turn the endangered fishing industry around. Under the plan, acommunity or co-op would give each licensed fisherman a percentage ofthe catch. "So you as a fisherman know exactly how many fish you areallowed to harvest during that season. Nobody can take those fish awayfrom you. No matter how fast I go out and fish, you can fish as slowlyand efficiently as you want to in order to harvest that total catchthat you are allowed to. So, what you find is that the season lengthextends tremendously," he said.
Costello says a fishing seasonmight be extended in some waters up to eight months compared to two orthree days when a fishing quota is met.
Experts say the benefitof catch shares is that it guarantees each fisherman a percentage ofthe catch and gives them a desire to want to protect fisheries. Theyliken catch shares to shares in a company. As the fisheries prosper,so do the profits for fishermen.
Costello and colleagues at theUniversity of California and the University of Hawaii studied data on11,000 commercial fisheries around the world between 1950 and 2003.
Ina study published in Science, researchers found the collapse rate wascut in half among 121 fisheries that were managed by catch sharesystems compared to traditional commercial fisheries.
"The pointof this paper is not that catch shares are the panacea to the fisheriescrisis; but that systems where fisherman have a financial incentive tocare about the long run health of systems can prevent the crisis," saidJohn Lynham, an economics professor at the University of Hawaii.
Someenvironmental groups have been critical of catch share strategiesbecause they believe the plan privatizes a public resource.
Butscientists say the evidence shows less pressure on commercial fisheriesas a result of catch shares both saves and revives fisheries.
Andco-author Steve Gaines of the University of California says the resultsare consistent around the world. "Our study shows that the averageresponse to catch shares was consistently positive regardless of thearea where they occur or the type of species they catch. Stewardshippromotes ecological recovery, which in turn increase profits. It istruly a win-win situation," he said.
This week, the EuropeanUnion announced a full review and plans to overhaul its fishingpolicies that it says depletes fish stocks and penalizes commercialfisheries that play by the rules.