Previous Page Table of Contents Next Page


3. SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL WORKSHOP CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS


1. The rationale underlying fisheries management, exploitation and development is beginning to change. Where once the focus was primarily on producing greater quantities of fish, the emphasis is now gradually moving, through concepts such as responsible fishing and sustainable management, towards wealth and revenue generation and their appropriate distribution. This change in focus presents new challenges to fisheries administrations. This workshop dealt with very novel issues and ideas. A major effort will be required over the coming years to develop and implement the ideas discussed at this workshop.

2. With the new emphasis on wealth and revenue generation, the issue of resource rent becomes central. Although calculating such rents precisely is a difficult exercise, tools exist to estimate orders of magnitude. Developing and implementing fishery management instruments (such as licences) that allow this value to be revealed in a market place will help.

3. Where wealth can be generated, choices must be made concerning its distribution. Rent can be left with resource users, or can be extracted by Government on behalf of all citizens. In most cases, current levels of extracted rent represent only small percentages of the total available, if the fisheries were well managed. Consideration must be given as to how best to use fisheries in meeting socio-economic objectives, in terms for instance of using revenue for poverty reducing investments, or through more direct provision of income, nutrition and in some cases employment for poor people.

4. Through appropriate fiscal arrangements, fisheries can make a major contribution to Government budgets. This contribution should be first and foremost via the Treasury, which can then take appropriate allocation decisions. In this context, it is important however that sufficient resources are budgeted and delivered to enable the fishery management function to be undertaken correctly, taking into consideration the potential of fisheries in the macroeconomy, if they are well managed.

5. Appropriate fiscal arrangements can also play an important role in fisheries management first, by helping to control the overall level of effort and second, by encouraging effort reallocation between fisheries. The challenge is to identify and implement such appropriate arrangements.

6. Given the novelty of the approach, which represents a major break with the past, there is a need for extensive communication and discussion of the ideas with all stakeholders. There is a need on the one hand for the Fisheries Ministry to build awareness amongst other Ministries and Government agencies of the contribution that the fishery sector can reasonably be expected to make. There is also a need for dialogue with the private sector on the general interest in fiscal reform and the implications.

7. In order to achieve fiscal reform, there will be a need to ensure that appropriate institutional arrangements exist and perform well. An institutional audit may be a useful starting point, enabling institutional reform requirements to be identified. Capacity will also have to be built up amongst fisheries managers. Technical assistance in calculating resource rents and in institutional analysis would be of particular interest.

8. In order to ensure sustainability, there is a need to develop holistic management systems, which integrate all fishing effort. This principle should also be applied in the case of access agreements.

9. Given the novel and important nature of the topic, the Group was keen to find ways to continue dialogue. A number of suggestions were made. One was to establish a discussion forum to develop further the themes raised at the workshop and to share experiences in implementation. It was suggested that a follow-up meeting should be organized in one year's time.

10. Workshop conclusions should be widely disseminated, including to all international and regional organizations having an interest in fisheries policy in the various countries and regions. A policy note could be prepared and made accessible online.

11. Although fiscal issues are clearly of great importance, fiscal arrangements are only one part of the fishery management system. There is a need to ensure that the various elements of the system are developed in a harmonious way.

12. Where resources are shared on a regional basis, there is a need to ensure effective management and collaboration between partners, including the harmonization of fiscal arrangements. The workshop recommended strengthening or establishing regional bodies to play this role.

13. There is a need to clarify objectives to ensure policy coherence. Apparent contradictions, for instance, between attempts to control fishing capacity within a context of resource rent extraction and attempts to encourage fishery development through favourable investment codes need to be dealt with very carefully.

14. In many cases, fiscal systems are very complicated based on a wide range of taxes, fees and levies. In a fiscal reform process, it would be useful to simplify so far as possible the system.

15. At a regional level, it must be recognized that countries are at different levels in terms of their fishery management and development programmes, and that they may not share common objectives. Regional workshops should be held to build awareness of the issues and to contribute to the process of identifying priorities and appropriate fiscal arrangements.


Previous Page Top of Page Next Page