Unseen annihilation: Illegal fishing practices and nautical patrol
Industrial fishing has resulted in the widespread destruction of marine life since the 1950s, despite international regulations against illegal practices. The use of illegal small mesh fishing nets by trawlers result in abnormally large catches of just above legal sized fish relative to what would be expected. By analysing data on reported fish landings, researchers have been able to quantify the previously invisible loss of aquatic life due to illegal fishing practices relative to current estimates.
Stephen Kastoryano is Lecturer in Economics at the University of Reading and winner of the University’s 2024 Research Output Prize (Prosperity & Resilience theme) for his paper as co-author in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management: ‘Unseen annihilation: Illegal fishing practices and nautical patrol’.