Fisheries throughout the oceans of the world are at risk due to over-fishing and the absence of any incentives for fishermen to conserve, rather than exploit, these common resources, says G. Tracy Mehan, an environmental consultant.
Government policies that “cap” the total harvest of fish ignore a hybrid solution to maintain a public or communal ownership, but grant a usufruct interest (a legal right to use and derive profit from property belonging to someone else) subject to reasonable regulation, says Mehan.
Nevertheless, fishermen have enjoyed higher profits, lower costs, longer fishing seasons and a safer, more stable industry in the eight fisheries where dedicated access privileges (DAPs) have been implemented.
Fortunately the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee approved a Magnuson-Stevens re-authorisation bill in 2005, which incorporates the new provisions, and it now goes to the full Senate and then to the House for consideration, says Mehan.
Source: G. Tracy Mehan, III, Go Fish, American Spectator, May 2006.
For more on Environment: http://eteam.ncpa.org/issues/?c=ocean-fisheries
FMF Policy Bulletin/ 25 July 2006
