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

• Main Authors: Gray, Tim, Korda, R.C., Stead, Selina, Jones, Estelle
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Subjects: Gadus morhua
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308-597X(10)00150-8

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. Discards Fisheries quotas Under-10 m fleet Distributive justice Sussex