Closing the high seas to fishing could improve the distribution of catches globally, according to a new study. Researchers estimate that around 42% of commercial fish spend their time both in high seas and coastal areas, and predict that closure of high seas will result in more of these fish being caught in coastal areas instead.
The authors conclude that while some countries may experience losses (such as France, Spain, Japan, Mexico), most coastal countries would benefit (such as Canada, USA, Australia, China, India) and the world’s least developed countries. They also estimate that there would be an overall net gain in catches worldwide.
Original research paper published in Scientific Reports on February 12, 2015.
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