Socioekonomiska effekter av fartygsskrotningar inom svenskt fiske

The purpose of this evaluation is to examine the effects of two scrapping schemes aimed at demersal cod trawlers in 2008 and 2009 in Sweden. In total 29 vessels were scrapped to a cost of approximately 135 million SEK of which 95 million SEK was funding from the European Fisheries Fund and 40 million SEK from national funds. The purpose of the evaluation is to determine to what extent owners of the scrapped vessels have reinvested in new vessels and how effort and catches have evolved after the scrapping campaigns. The study also examines to what extent owners have left the fishing industry and, if so, their position in the labor market. To answer these questions the evaluation uses data on employment status, incomes, fishing effort, etc. for owners who have been involved in the scrapping campaigns. The evaluation shows that a number of owners have reinvested in new vessels after the campaigns. These vessels are on average smaller compared to the scrapped vessels and mainly target other species than cod; especially the catches of mackerel have increased. The fact that the scrapping schemes seem to have led to increased effort in fishery segments where it is relatively easy to enter illustrates the importance of considering spillover effects when introducing scrapping measures.The evaluation also shows that around one third of the individuals involved in the scrap­ping schemes were retired three years after the last campaign. When it comes to individ­uals of working age, few were unemployed and a majority had incomes from fisheries or fisheries­related activities after the campaigns. Moreover, individuals active in the labor market had a favorable income development.