Factors influencing the decision to leave a fishery and the effects of fishery subsidies: The case of the Spanish purse seine fishery

This paper finds that assistance for the scrapping of vessels, the establishment of joint ventures, and vessel export have positive effects on the probability of a vessel's exit from the Spanish purse seine fishery fleet. The results also show that fishing vessels operating with only one type of main fishing gear are more likely to leave the fishery than those that operate using different main fishing gear to improve the profitability of their fishing activities. Furthermore, we observe that vessels that operate in EU waters are less likely to leave the fisheries. In addition, the engine power and tonnage were variables that did not contribute significantly to the model, indicating that they are not crucial factors for the survival of purse seine vessels. Finally, as anticipated, the analysis of revenues allows us to conclude that vessels with low incomes are more likely to leave the fishery.