Quota discarding and distributive justice: The case of the under-10m fishing fleet in Sussex, England

Citation

Gray T, Korda RC, Stead SM & Jones E (2011) Quota discarding and distributive justice: The case of the under-10m fishing fleet in Sussex, England. Marine Policy, 35 (2), pp. 122-129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2010.08.010

Abstract
Marine fish discarding has become a contentious environmental issue, but little attention has been paid to the moral grievances that sometimes underlie discarding practices. This article explores such a moral grievance through a case study of the under-10. m fishery in Sussex, England, where discarding of cod (Gadus morhua) has become a highly charged issue, skippers blaming it on unjust quota allocations. The moral claim to a greater quota allocation is analysed using two conceptions of distributive justice, entitlement and desert. The conclusion reached is that the under-10. m fleet's entitlement arguments for a higher quota are weaker than their desert arguments, but that entitlement arguments weigh more heavily than desert arguments with government when it allocates quota.

Keywords
Discards; Fisheries quotas; Under-10 m fleet; Distributive justice; Sussex

Journal
Marine Policy: Volume 35, Issue 2