This Guide has been developed to assist in studying fisheries subsidies. It aims at being an instrument for studies covering all different types of subsidies in all sectors of the fisheries industry and attempts to provide a flexible technical tool that can be used by those who carry out studies and prepare reports on subsidies in the fisheries sector according to their specific needs.
As such, the Guide does not provide a rigid definition of subsidies but offers a framework for how to define fisheries subsidies and it discusses and suggests definitions of different types of subsidies. The Guide does not take any position with regard to whether a subsidy is "good" or "bad". Subsidies can increase or decrease revenues and costs of the industry, but the analysis of how this impact on industry profits eventually affects resources and trade is beyond the scope of the Guide. Hence, the Guide does not cover the analysis of the effects of subsidies on resources, fisheries and trade but aims at assisting in collecting and organizing the data on which these analyses could be based. This covers defining, classifying and quantifying fisheries subsidies as well as investigating the processes by which subsidies are provided.
The Guide is based on the main principles agreed on in the FAO Expert Consultation on Economic Incentives and Responsible Fisheries, held in Rome on 28 November - 1 December 2000[1]. In early 2002, a preliminary draft Guide was prepared, based on available literature and information. This draft was then tested by the carrying out of prototype studies in four different countries after which it was revised, incorporating the experience from the test studies. The definitions and methodologies presented in the Guide have thus been developed by combining available theoretical knowledge with practical experience. A final draft version of the Guide was discussed in the FAO Expert Consultation on Identifying, Assessing and Reporting of Subsidies in the Fishing Industry in December 2002 before the present document was finalized[2].
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FIGURE 1
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However, the subject of fisheries subsidies is vast and complex and the work carried out so far has not been sufficient for dealing with all aspects and issues that it includes. Therefore, this Guide should not be considered a final product but rather a flexible document that may need to be revised as more experience on how to study fisheries subsidies is acquired.
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[1] See FAO 2000a. [2] See FAO 2002. |
