Trade in fishing services : emerging perspectives on foreign fishing arrangements

This report is an output of a World Bank study whose aim is to provide guidance to developing coastal countries in identifying the means to secure optimal, equitable, and sustainable returns from foreign fishing arrangements, or FFAs, particularly ensuring that they are underpinned by effective national management systems. It also seeks to encourage DWF or flag states to adopt responsible policies and practices with regard to the behavior and activities of their fleets. The primary aims of the report are as follows: to identify how coastal states might benefit from international trade in fishing services; to consider the conditions necessary for such benefits to be sustained and to increase further in the future; and to discuss the implications for different stakeholders, especially in the coastal state. The report centers on an analytical review of economic and legal principles supported by empirical casework to elucidate actual and potential cost and benefit flows associated with FFAs. It attempts to identify a set of relevant principles, particularly learning from case examples of best practice, which could inform the development of guidelines for future FFAs in developing country fisheries. To explore these issues, the report adopts a trade in fishing services (TIFS) framework. Particular emphasis is placed on harvesting services, although the post-harvest value chain and processing aspects are also recognized as crucial.