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Fishing capacity management and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Asia

Year of publication 2007

Pages 35

Author Morgan, G.; Staples, D.; Funge-Smith, S.;Fisheries Group

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Series title RAP Publication

Series number 1020-6221|1014-2789|18194591|0428-9560

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) The history of exploitation of wild fish stocks in Asia has been one of sequential overexploitation, open access fisheries and low profitability. Despite this history, there has been a growing recognition in recent years of the need to manage fish stocks for long-term sustainability. Some progress has been reported in attempting to assess fishing capacity in major fisheries and the number of specific capacity reduction programmes undertaken in the region has increased. However, the effectivenes s of these initiatives on a regional scale is not yet apparent since fishing capacity in both industrial scale and small-scale fisheries has continued to rise in the region and is now, on average, 12.5 percent above 2002 levels. At the same time, production has decreased. Many countries lack policy and operational tools for fisheries management. Methods for measuring fishing capacity, such as vessel licensing systems or census data, and catch and effort data systems, are often poorly develope d. Moreover, monitoring, control and surveillance capabilities are generally inadequate. Based on responses to questionnaires sent to 15 countries in the region as well as previously available information, this regional synthesis provides useful background material for identifying the major issues related to management of fishing capacity and illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing at both national and regional levels.

Language English

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