IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/jintdv/v36y2024i3p1817-1831.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A comparative economic analysis of industrial fisheries targeting small pelagic fish in Mauritanian waters: Free license versus charter regime

Author

Listed:
  • Abou Ciré Ball
  • Elimane Abou Kane
  • Patrice Brehmer

Abstract

Industrial fisheries targeting small pelagic fish have significant socio‐economic implications for North West African countries. This study examines the economic performance of fleets operating in Mauritania's exclusive economic zone under the free license and chartering systems. Using national production data from 1989 to 2010 and economic indicator ratios from European pelagic fishing vessels, we assess the economic performance of pelagic fisheries over one decade. Our findings show that vessel characteristics have rapidly evolved, with free‐licenced vessels having a higher average fishing capacity than chartered vessels. The nominal number of free licenses increased from under 8% in 1995; the year of free licencing began in Mauritania, to over 80% in 2010. The estimated average economic output for 2000–2010 was US$ 231 million, with free licenses contributing over 80% of the total turnover (US$ 187 million). Vessels operating under free licenses made a greater contribution to wealth creation than the chartering regime. Foreign ship owners generated US$ 40.7 million (22%) in income, while chartering yielded US$ 3.6 million (8%). However, the chartering regime was more fiscally advantageous, contributing over 68% of pelagic fisheries tax revenues (estimated at over US$ 29 million). The small pelagic fishery has been subject to a system of total allowable catches and fishing quotas since 2015. This study provides insights into the economic dynamics of the small pelagic fishery, informing decision‐making and potential strategies to enhance the sector's performance and overall economic impact.

Suggested Citation

  • Abou Ciré Ball & Elimane Abou Kane & Patrice Brehmer, 2024. "A comparative economic analysis of industrial fisheries targeting small pelagic fish in Mauritanian waters: Free license versus charter regime," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(3), pages 1817-1831, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:36:y:2024:i:3:p:1817-1831
    DOI: 10.1002/jid.3880
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3880
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/jid.3880?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kaczynski, Vlad M. & Fluharty, David L., 2002. "European policies in West Africa: who benefits from fisheries agreements?," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 75-93, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Corten, Ad, 2014. "EU–Mauritania fisheries partnership in need of more transparency," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 1-11.
    2. Dyhia Belhabib & U Rashid Sumaila & Vicky W Y Lam & Dirk Zeller & Philippe Le Billon & Elimane Abou Kane & Daniel Pauly, 2015. "Euros vs. Yuan: Comparing European and Chinese Fishing Access in West Africa," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-22, March.
    3. Hammarlund, Cecilia & Andersson, Anna, 2019. "What’s in it for Africa? European Union fishing access agreements and fishery exports from developing countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 172-185.
    4. Mark Axelrod, 2017. "Blocking change: facing the drag of status quo fisheries institutions," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 573-588, August.
    5. Ramòn Jiménez-Toribio & Patrice Guillotreau & Rémi Mongruel, 2009. "Global integration of European tuna markets," Working Papers hal-00430014, HAL.
    6. Mulazzani, Luca & Malorgio, Giulio, 2015. "Is there coherence in the European Union’s strategy to guarantee the supply of fish products from abroad?," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 1-10.
    7. U. Sumaila & Ahmed Khan & Andrew Dyck & Reg Watson & Gordon Munro & Peter Tydemers & Daniel Pauly, 2010. "A bottom-up re-estimation of global fisheries subsidies," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 12(3), pages 201-225, October.
    8. Mundt, Matthias, 2012. "The effects of EU fisheries partnership agreements on fish stocks and fishermen: The case of Cape Verde," IPE Working Papers 12/2012, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    9. Kaczynski Wlodzimierz, 2011. "The Future of Blue Economy: Lessons for European Union," Foundations of Management, Sciendo, vol. 3(1), pages 21-32, January.
    10. Toumasatos, Evangelos & Sandal, Leif Kristoffer & Steinshamn, Stein Ivar, 2022. "Keep it in house or sell it abroad? A framework to evaluate fairness," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 297(2), pages 709-728.
    11. Oli Brown, 2005. "Policy Incoherence: EU Fisheries Policy in Senegal," Human Development Occasional Papers (1992-2007) HDOCPA-2005-29, Human Development Report Office (HDRO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
    12. John Atta‐Mills & Jackie Alder & Ussif Rashid Sumaila, 2004. "The decline of a regional fishing nation: The case of Ghana and West Africa," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 28(1), pages 13-21, February.
    13. Béné, Christophe & Lawton, Rebecca & Allison, Edward H., 2010. ""Trade Matters in the Fight Against Poverty": Narratives, Perceptions, and (Lack of) Evidence in the Case of Fish Trade in Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(7), pages 933-954, July.
    14. Nichols, Rachel & Yamazaki, Satoshi & Jennings, Sarah & Watson, Reg A., 2015. "Fishing access agreements and harvesting decisions of host and distant water fishing nations," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 77-85.
    15. Bronnmann, Julia & Smith, Martin D. & Abbott, James & Hay, Clinton J. & Næsje, Tor F., 2020. "Integration of a local fish market in Namibia with the global seafood trade: Implications for fish traders and sustainability," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    16. Rammelt, Crelis Ferdinand & van Schie, Maarten, 2016. "Ecology and equity in global fisheries: Modelling policy options using theoretical distributions," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 337(C), pages 107-122.
    17. Béné, Christophe & Arthur, Robert & Norbury, Hannah & Allison, Edward H. & Beveridge, Malcolm & Bush, Simon & Campling, Liam & Leschen, Will & Little, David & Squires, Dale & Thilsted, Shakuntala H. &, 2016. "Contribution of Fisheries and Aquaculture to Food Security and Poverty Reduction: Assessing the Current Evidence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 177-196.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:36:y:2024:i:3:p:1817-1831. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/5102/home .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.