The Economics of Fishing the High Seas

This study quantifies the economics (efforts, cost, and benefit) of high-seas fishing. Using the Global Fishing Watch database, the study was able to characterize the global high-seas fleet which enabled them to calculate the costs of fishing. Then, using total fisheries catch from the high-seas they could calculate revenue. Together, the study finds that without government subsidies, most fisheries are unprofitable. This reliance on subsidies and the overall profitability of high-seas fishing alters where high-seas fishing is conducted and what type of fisheries is utilized.