International audienceMarine recreational fishing (MRF) is a high-participation activity with large economic value and social benefits globally, and it impacts on some fish stocks. Although reporting MRF catches is a European Union legislative requirement, estimates are only available for some countries. Here, data on numbers of fishers, participation rates, days fished, expenditures, and catches of two widely targeted species were synthesized to provide European estimates of MRF and placed in the global context. Uncertainty assessment was not possible due to incomplete knowledge of error distributions; instead, a semi-quantitative bias assessment was made. There were an estimated 8.7 million European recreational sea fishers corresponding to a participation rate of 1.6%. An estimated 77.6 million days were fished, and expenditure was €5.9 billion annually. There were higher participation, numbers of fishers, days fished and expenditure in the Atlantic than the Mediterranean, but the Mediterranean estimates were generally less robust. Comparisons with other regions showed that European MRF participation rates and expenditure were in the mid-range, with higher participation in Oceania and the United States, higher expenditure in the United States, and lower participation and expenditure in South America and Africa. For both northern European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, Moronidae) and western Baltic cod (Gadus morhua, Gadidae) stocks, MRF represented 27% of the total removals. This study highlights the importance of MRF and the need for bespoke, regular and statistically sound data collection to underpin European fisheries management. Solutions are proposed for future MRF data collection in Europe and other regions to support sustainable fisheries management

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Quota allocation mechanisms have distributional effects that are highly relevant to the economic organization of fisheries. In France, where fishing allocations are non-transferable, quotas are shared among Producer Organizations (POs) based on the historical landings of their members. Each PO is then responsible for implementing their own internal rules that provide individual or collective allocations to their members. This study investigates the distributional effects of the various quota management systems adopted by POs on quotas and production for the Bay of Biscay sole fishery. A comparison between initial allocations by vessel based on historical landings and actual observed landings is presented. Inequality metrics are used to quantify distributional effects, and a new method that is based on the decomposability property of the Theil index is introduced. Results show that the French management system successfully avoided concentration of production while reducing the fishing capacity through decommissioning schemes. The non-transferability of fishing allocations is a critical element that favored this outcome by allowing POs to control the distribution of catch shares in the fishery. Besides, it appears that the allocation strategies developed by POs were notably influenced by their local roots and their fishing fleet profiles. The various quota allocation systems among POs had contrasting effects on vessels' production, including greater equity within particular subfleets, benefits to vessels most dependent on sole in most POs, and benefits to the small-scale fisheries in a few POs. Highlights ► The role of producer organizations in the French quota management system is critical. ► Reduction of fleet capacity was achieved without concentration of production. ► Non-transferability of allocations favored greater equity in the fishery. ► Producer organizations' allocation strategies are influenced by their local identity. ► The Theil index offers some unique advantages to analyze distributional changes.

-Moored FADs (MFADs) have been a key area for development in Guadeloupe (Lesser Antilles) since the late 1980's. The main objectives underpinning the development of MFADs were to (i) reduce fishing pressure on coastal fishing resources; (ii) boost fishermen's incomes; and (iii) increase local consumption of locally generated fishery products as a proportion of overall consumption. This paper gives an overview of the current structure of Guadeloupe's fishing fleet and fisheries, with a specific focus on MFAD fleets in a relatively unstructured environment with regard to regulation, and so how these fleets operate in a context of unrestricted development of private MFADs. In addressing the following key issues, this paper aims to: assess the economic performance of fleets operating on MFADs, understand why the MFAD fishing activity has not developed more than it has, and suggest how better MFAD management could improve the situation. Socio-economic information on a trip and fleet level basis were collected and stored on a fisheries information system to analyse the relative attractiveness of MFAD fishing and assess the overall economic performance of MFAD fleets as compared to other non-MFAD fleets. Non-monetary variables were also tested to explain the degree of dependence on MFADs. In 2008, economic returns from FADs were relatively low, both in terms of wages for the crews and in terms of profit for vessel owners. Earnings were higher than coastal fishing activities, but seem to have been very sensitive to the indicators used in our analysis. MFADs are expected to become much more attractive as a result of MFAD regulation, especially through the establishment of collective MFADs.