THE DISCARDS PROBLEM - TOWARDS A EUROPEAN SOLUTION

The discarding of marine biomass is an acute problem in developed fisheries. It is symptomatic of a flawed and inconsistent strategy for the reduction of fishing effort. Using the example of the Common Fisheries Policy, the paper argues that a reduction in discards can only be achieved through the realignment of policy instruments, greater collaboration between regulators and resource users, and closer integration of policy and market behaviour. Proposing a minimum discards strategy, the authors stress the need for regional sensitivity in the implementation of conservation measures, and outline a case for the devolved regional management of fisheries.