FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THE OECD FISHERIES SECTOR: POLICY IMPLICATIONS

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FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THE OECD FISHERIES
SECTORPOLICY IMPLICATIONS

• ANTHONY COXFISHERIES DIVISION, OECD
• FAO/UNCTAD Workshop on the impact of WTO
  agreements and negotiations on the fisheries
  sector
• 20-21 March 2006, Geneva

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• THE OECD ANALYSIS
• Analysis based on the sustainable development
  paradigm
• Covers economic, environmental and social effects
  of financial support programs
• OECD definition of GFTs
• Monetary value of government interventions
  associated with fisheries policies
• Broader than the ASCM definition
• and narrower than the FAO definition
• Around USD 6.7 billion in GFTs in 2003
• 21 of the value of landings

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GFTs TO THE OECD HARVEST SECTOR, 2003(USD
million)
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GFTs TO THE OECD HARVEST SECTOR, 2003(percentage
of the value of landings)
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GFTs TO THE OECD HARVEST SECTOR, 2003(percentage
of the value of landings)
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GFTs BY PROGRAM OBJECTIVE, 2003
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SHARE OF GFTs BY OBJECTIVE, 1996 and 2003
Other
Income support
Vessel construction
Decommissioning
Access agreements
Infrastructure
Management services
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• KEY FINDINGS (1)
• Transfers have an important, but limited, role to
  play in fisheries policy
• Fisheries management services
• Transition payments in structural adjustment
• Shortcomings in transparency of support programs
• Integrated approach to assessment required
• Avoids inadvertent policy effects
• High cost of embedded policy expectations
• Effectiveness of management and enforcement is
  critical
• Strong access rights
• Stakeholder participation

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• KEY FINDINGS (2)
• Financial support for the sector should be
  de-coupled form fishing activity
• Improves policy targeting
• Reduce subsidy dependence, increases resilience
  and flexibility
• Impose time limits on support programs
• Expectations reduces adaptability
• Fishing sector can thrive with reduced financial
  support
• Highlights experiences from Norway, NZ, Iceland,
  Australia
• Focus on essential programs (such as management
  services)
• Integrated and package approach required

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• THANK YOU
• www.oecd.org/agr/fish