Who has the right to fish? Is an investigation into the privatised of the Greater North Sea through the lens of the commercial fishing industry.

The right to fish is based on a fisherman’s allocation of quota. In the United Kingdom access to the national quota pool has led to the privatisation of our seas. All 4028 under 10 metre fishermen share less than 2% of that national quota, while the other 98% is owned between private companies.

Because of this privatisation the industry is controlled by 5 major fishing companies who collectively dominate 80% of the industry. This monopoly has been constructed through the open market of the Quota Trade. The industry has been opened up like the stock exchange model. Enabling the dominating players within the industry to freely trade and exchange quota allocations to profitably capitalise and exploit the seas natural resources to the highest degree.

When fish stocks are deemed a public asset, but only a handful of people are able to benefit, who has the right to fish?