The management of the UK's public fishery: A large squatting claim?

Appleby, Thomas; van der Werf, Ytzen; Williams, Chris

Abstract

The UK’s fishery is a public asset worth in the region of £1,125 million. The free allocation of quota to commercial businesses on the basis of 2 years’ track record is a similar process to permitting that public asset to be squatted. The complex and badly drafted regulation which underpins this process has permitted a great deal of uncertainty in the allocation of fishing quota and the opaque mechanisms for the allocation of quota are likely to lead to concentration of quota among a few fishing businesses. This is largely responsibility of the UK authorities rather than European Union. It will need primary legislation to resolve this issue and establish a proper transparent system according to the practices conducted almost universally elsewhere in government when disposing of public assets to the private sector.

Citation

Appleby, T., van der Werf, Y., & Williams, C. (2016). The management of the UK's public fishery: A large squatting claim?

• Acceptance Date: May 11, 2016
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2016
• Journal: Working Paper
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: fishing, quota, property, squatting, human rights, possession, marine, valuation