Territorial Use Rights In Marine Fisheries

Territorial use rights in fisheries (TURFs) have existed for centuries. They are widely available for sedentary resources. In addition, however, they have appeared in a number of marine fisheries in traditional communities and are also being acquired, legally or extra-legally, for such techniques as floating fish aggregation devices and other forms of fixed gear. TURFs provide interesting opportunities for dealing with two major aspects of fisheries management -efficient production of net benefits and equitable distribution of benefits. Further exploration of the possible adoption of TURFs as a means for management seem desirable. This paper explores some of the definitional elements of TURFs and the distinctions between territorial rights and common property. It also exercises some of the conditions that may have an effect on the creation and maintenance of TURFs. And it discusses briefly some of the implications for equitable distribution of benefits.

Territorial use rights in fisheries (TURFs) have existed for centuries. They are widely available for sedentary resources. In addition, however, they have appeared in a number of marine fisheries in traditional communities and are also being acquired, legally or extra-legally, for such techniques as floating fish aggregation devices and other forms of fixed gear. TURFs provide interesting opportunities for dealing with two major aspects of fisheries management -efficient production of net benefits and equitable distribution of benefits. Further exploration of the possible adoption of TURFs as a means for management seem desirable. This paper explores some of the definitional elements of TURFs and the distinctions between territorial rights and common property. It also exercises some of the conditions that may have an effect on the creation and maintenance of TURFs. And it discusses briefly some of the implications for equitable distribution of benefits.

The Global Atlas of Marine Fisheries is the first and only book to provide accurate, country-by-country fishery catch data. This groundbreaking information has been gathered from independent sources by the world's foremost fisheries experts. Edited by Daniel Pauly and Dirk Zeller of the Sea Around Us Project, the Atlas includes one-page reports on 273 countries and their territories, plus fourteen topical global chapters. Each national report describes the current state of the country's fishery; the policies, politics, and social factors affecting it; and potential solutions. The global chapters address cross-cutting issues, from the economics of fisheries to the impacts of mariculture. Extensive maps and graphics offer attractive and accessible visual representations.

This handbook is the most comprehensive and interdisciplinary work on marine conservation and fisheries management ever compiled. It is the first to bridge fisheries and marine conservation issues. Its innovative ideas, detailed case studies, and governance framework provide a global special perspective over time and treat problems in the high seas, community fisheries, industrial fishing, and the many interactions between use and non-use of the oceans. Its policy tools and ideas for overcoming the perennial problems of over fishing, habitat and biodiversity loss address the facts that many marine ecosystems are in decline and plagued by overexploitation due to unsustainable fishing practices. An outstanding feature of the book is the detailed case-studies on conservation practice and fisheries management from around the world. These case studies are combined with 'foundation' chapters that provide an overview of the state of the marine world and innovative and far reaching perspectives about how we can move forward to face present and future challenges. The contributors include the world's leading fisheries scientists, economists, and managers. Ecosystem and incentive-based approaches are described and complemented by tools for cooperative, participatory solutions. Unique themes treated: fisher behavior and incentives for management beyond rights-based approaches; a synthesis of proposed 'solutions'; a framework for understanding and overcoming the critical determinants of the decline in fisheries, degradation of marine ecosystems, and poor socio-economic performance of many fishing communities; models for innovative policy instruments; a plan of action and adoption pathways to promote sustainable fishing practices globally. Collectively, the handbook's many valuable contributions offer a way forward to both understanding and resolving the multifaceted problems facing the world's oceans.

This book examines the development of property rights in marine fisheries, and asks whether the obstacles to their continued development cannot be more easily overcome. The contributed chapters generally focus on the consequences of a lack of property rights of commercial and small-time fishers globally. National governments have recognized that the absence of such rights coupled with the technological advances in commerical fishing have resulted in widespread economic and environmental problems (e.g., overfishing, bycatching, highgrading, increased physical dangers, and lower profits). The most significant solution to these problems, and the predominate concern of this book, is the institution of Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs), also known as Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQs). These are national and global policies, public- and private-sector managed allocations of the amount of various species of fish, at certain qualities can be harvested at particular times by fishers.

The session was closed with papers that provided a prognosis on the future development of property rights in fisheries management. Thus, the conference papers addressed the theory and application of property.

The third and main section of the document discusses ways of increasing the contribution of small-scale fisheries to poverty alleviation and food security through nine main entry points. First, the paper revisits conventional fisheries policies and legislation and makes suggestions on how those can be made more pro-poor. Next, the paper emphasizes the importance of capacity building and highlights how cross-sectoral interventions can greatly improve the livelihoods of fish-dependent communities. The paper then proposes a series of broad pro-poor or pro-small-scale fisheries principles, before discussing in greater detail three of the main management instruments adopted in fisheries: (i) property right approaches; (ii) co-management; and (iii) protected areas. The next two sub-sections discuss markets and how to make them work for the poor, and the important issue of pro-poor financing systems and subsidies.