Capacity Analysis and Fisheries Policy: Theory versus Practice

Abstract

. Effective fisheries managementthat addresses this underlying problem should, therefore, remove the need to con-sider capacity as a separate issue. Why then consider capacity management ratherthan just fisheries management?The answer to this is unfortunately simple: most fisheries managers are noteconomists. In many countries, conservation and social factors take precedence overeconomic considerations. Improving property rights in fisheries is often perceived tobe associated with a decline in employment, and there is a reluctance to introducesuch measures in many countries. Further, with greater focus on environmental con-siderations, measures that limit catch are often preferred over measures that improveprofitability in the fishery.The FAO International Plan of Action for the Management of Fishing Capacity(IPOA-Capacity) has forced the focus to shift, at least in part, from the resource tothe exploiters of the resource. While “fisheries management” can be considered toinvolve only the resource, “capacity management” must also include considerationof the fleet.A review by FAO (2004) found that in the five years since the introduction ofthe IPOA-Capacity, 82% of States surveyed had brought capacity management intoconsideration. Further, only 4% of States decided that a capacity management planwas unnecessary. Two such States that decided not to develop a separate capacitymanagement plan were New Zealand and Australia—both of which utilized rights-based management in their key fisheries.Most countries were found to have adopted an input-based measure of capacity.In some cases, capacity is measured in terms of vessel numbers only (