Unequal competition: the fate of domestic fisheries facing distant water fishing in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

Paper summary generated by OpenAI: This study investigates the impact of Distant Water Fishing (DWF) fleets on domestic fisheries in the Central Southwestern Atlantic Ocean, utilizing 15 years of tuna fishery data from the Sea Around Us database. The findings reveal that DWF fleets exhibit higher catch per unit of effort (CPUE) and have increasingly encroached upon the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of coastal nations, adversely affecting small-scale fishers. Between 2012 and 2016, domestic fleets faced reduced fishing effort and lower tuna prices compared to their DWF counterparts, prompting a reliance on subsidies for survival. The research highlights the urgent need for enhanced regulatory frameworks to safeguard the fisheries of developing nations and promote equitable resource use.