Sustainable fishing in Irish waters: Assessment of Current Practices, Policies and Alternative Approaches

Irish fishing waters are currently governed as part of the Common Fisheries Policy of the European Union. Under this regime, policies of strict regulation are employed to provide both an ecologically sustainable resource and an economically sustainable industry. These measures, however, have not been sufficiently effective in achieving the desired goals. In this paper we examine the reasons for this deficiency and provide an analysis of the alternatives. In doing so, a critical assessment of current and proposed measures, in terms of ecological and economic sustainability is carried out. It is argued that the current measures of regulation have failed due to both theoretical and practical deficiencies in their application. A proposed policy alternative of a community based rights-based management regime is discussed.