A practical approach to assess equity in fisheries management

A corner-stone of fisheries management is the regulation of access to the fisheries stocks through the allocation of fishing opportunities which aim to limit the "race-to-fish", leading to increased economic efficiency. It is widely recognized that the equitable distribution of fisheries access rights is key to the acceptability and effectiveness of such regulatory systems. This dimension, however, remains largely underexplored. We develop a practical approach to assess equity in fisheries management systems. Building on the conceptual foundations of the fisheries social contract, we define equity through a three-tiered framework and propose a scoring system for its evaluation. We empirically test the approach through a comparative analysis of the French and Spanish allocation regimes for the Bay of Biscay Hake (Merluccius merluccius) fishery. The findings highlight the importance of explicitly incorporating equity into fisheries governance alongside ecological and economic objectives.