Aug 22 2012
Catch Shares Programs Offer Sustainable Solution to Over Fishing
Overfishing in the UK has caused a severe shortage of cod and haddock, leading our cross-Atlantic ally to import nearly a third of all fish consumed. A year ago, the country ran out of fish for a month and turned to importing the food from countries like Finland and even China. But the UK is only one of a number of states in the European Union that has repeatedly over fished and violated fishing quotas set by the EU. The EU has now threatened to reduced quotes for the repeat offenders.
Here in the US, the state of California last year passed a law banning the sale of shark fin soup, a delicacy among some Chinese American and immigrant populations. The ban was a response to the threats of extinction facing sharks as the consumption of the soup continues to increase, particularly in Hong Kong.
A number of Pacific coast fish species are also considered to be overfished, including rockfish, Petrale Sole, Coho Salmon, and Pacific Bluefin Tuna. Globally, more than 80% of fish stocks are reportedly being overfished.
Now, a new study examines an innovative program called Catch Shares addressing over-fishing and promoting economic and environmental sustainability. Catch Shares are defined as “fishery management systems that dedicate a secure privilege to harvest a specific area or percentage of a fishery’s total allowable catch to individuals, communities or associations” (Wikipedia). Hundreds of such programs have been implemented worldwide. The new Catch Shares study assesses which ones are successful and why, leading to the creation of a “Catch Shares Design Manual” that could potentially be used here in the US, and particularly the Pacific Coast to implement a more sustainable approach to fishing.
GUEST: Kate Bonzon, Director of the Catch Shares Design Center and co-author of the study entitled “Assessing Catch Shares’ Effects: Evidence From Federal United States and British Columbian Fisheries.”
Visit www.edf.org to learn more about the Catch Shares program.
2 Responses to “Catch Shares Programs Offer Sustainable Solution to Over Fishing”
Catch shares do not manage fish. They manage fishermen. There is absolutely zero value to the fish. All catch shares do is limit the number of fishermen who are allowed to catch the same amount of fish that would be caught if the catch share did not exist. Eliminating jobs is not a good thing
Just FYI, the US imports over 80% of the fish we consume – and most of that comes from Asia, including China.