The evolution of fisheries in Portugal: a methodological reappraisal with insights from economics

Interpretation of fisheries data can be considerably affected by missing or naïve analyses of economic variables. We analyze the case of Portugal, showing how considering the effects of inflation reverses previous conclusions regarding the evolution of fish prices and revenues (fisheries performance). We further emphasize the importance of variables related to economic drivers, such as the prices of substitute goods for understanding the demand for fish, and of exchange rates as a determinant of fish imports. We call for a stronger contribution from economics and greater interdisciplinary scrutiny of a crosscutting scientific area such as fisheries research.The authors thank Rashid Sumaila for helpful comments on an earlier version of this paper. The authors would like to thank the FCT/MEC's financial support through national funding and by the ERDF through the Operational Programme on Competitiveness and Internationalization – COMPETE 2020 under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement, references FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-037268 and PEstC/EGE/UI3182/2013 (Francisco Veiga), and reference PEst-OE/CJP/UI0713/2013 (Pedro Goulart).