Abstract:
Subsidies in the world's fishing industry have long been considered to have
harmful effects on fish stocks. The fishing industry has suffered from overcapacity
for many years, and subsidies encourage investment, leading to
greater capacity and more pressure on fish stocks, many of which are already
exploited close to extinction. However, this paper argues, that not all
fishery subsidies have this effect on the fish resource. In Ireland, there is evidence
suggesting that fishery subsidies are used increasingly for the purpose
of employment creation in disadvantaged regions, through land-based investments,
rather than to increase fishing capacity. Abolishing fishery subsidies
in Ireland is, therefore, not likely to have huge effects on the fishing fleet,
while the effects on rural communities could be grave. For politicians ever
to consider the removal of subsidies, alternative policies must be developed
to assist people that live in disadvantaged regions.
