Trade in fishing services : emerging perspectives on foreign fishing arrangements - summary

Foreign fishing arrangements represent mechanisms that allow international trade in fishing services (TIFS), offering the possibility for coastal states, especially developing countries, to increase the benefits from the exploitation of their fish resources. Trade in fishing services - emerging perspectives on foreign fishing arrangements (FFA) is the culmination of a global analytic and empirical study commissioned by the World Bank. The study set out to derive a better understanding of foreign fishing arrangements and their impacts on coastal developing countries. The study draws on detailed case work to examine the economic and legal underpinnings of FFA. It identifies the likely causes and potential solutions that will enable coastal states to capture and sustain optimal, equitable returns from the exploitation of their fish resources. The report identifies how coastal states may benefit from international trade in fishing services, considers the conditions necessary for such benefits to be sustained and increased, and discusses the implications for stakeholders, especially those in coastal developing countries. Although trade in fishing services may raise some issues, it is likely to be a significant part of a strategy to maximize the economic benefits from the exploitation of fish resources.