Investigators

Collaborators

Sea Around Us Project

Research project description

Background

Activities dependent on healthy marine fish populations make significant contributions to the global, regional and national economies of countries of the world. This includes extractive uses such as commercial and recreational fishing, as well as non-extractive uses such as tourism. The ocean fisheries economy also includes related activities such as the seafood processing, shipping, marketing, and retail sectors. And it also includes public sector activities such as fisheries management. In addition to direct economic values, the oceans also provide a number of indirect or non-market values such as ocean processes that influence climate and biodiversity, and bequest and existence values.

Often, fisheries managers feel pressure to sacrifice the long term health of marine fish resources in favor of short term economic needs of the fishing industry. The Global Ocean Economics Project will determine the global economic contribution of activities supported by healthy fish populations, now and in the future. Gaining a better understanding of the value to the global economy of healthy marine fish populations may provide a broader economic perspective for fisheries managers.

As a first step to initiate the Global Ocean Economics Project, Rashid Sumaila will convene a meeting of economic and fisheries experts to develop a research strategy for the Project. The tasks for this meeting include (but may not be limited to):

1. Identifying ocean fisheries activities to be covered, the most obvious being: (a) capture fisheries, (b) ocean fish hatcheries and aquaculture, (c) seafood processing, (d) boat/ship building and repairs, (e) tourism/recreational fisheries, (f) marine manufacturing and services, e.g., products aiding search and rescue of fish and fishers, (g) marine research, and (h) contributions from public services, e.g., fisheries management;
2. Identifying the regions and major countries where this analysis should focus on, in addition to the global level analysis;
3. Discuss relevant methodologies for the planned research;
4. Developing a plan for collecting, compiling and analyzing the necessary data to accomplish the research goals;
5. Breaking the research and analysis into tasks to be executed by the UBC team;
6. Specifying the role of an Advisory Panel for the project.

Project Duration

Two years

Funding source
Pew Charitable Trusts

Documentation
In December of 2007 we convened a planning meeting in Vancouver to develop a research strategy for the project.

Based on the discussion during the planning meeting we prepared a brief outline for the project. (PDF 81KB)

Preliminary results (working papers)

Preliminary results from the first stage of the project have been released as working papers on the UBC Fisheries Centre website. The first stage of the project involves four papers which will be part of a special issue in the Journal of Bioeconomics to be published sometime in 2010.  Following is a list of the working papers available for download.

• Global patterns of potential catch and value losses due to overfishing (PDF 420 Kb)
• A global valuation of ecosystem-based marine recreation (PDF 821 Kb)
• Contribution of ocean fish populations to the world economy (PDF 182 Kb)
• A bottom-up re-estimation of global fisheries subsidies

Resources for contributors
The Global Ocean Economics Project is one of large scope and the data requirements are high.  We depend greatly on contributions from those working in fisheries around the world to provide us with high quality information.

If you have any information to offer you may use the templates below to make a submission.  Please email completed forms to The Global Ocean Economics Project.  You may also contact Global Ocean Economics researchers directly through the members section or use the contact page.

• Government financial support form (Excel 165Kb)
• Recreational Fishing Data Form (Excel)
• Ex-Vessel Price Data Form (Excel)
• Costs of fishing data form (Excel 49Kb)