Fishing access agreements with developing countries have been widely criticized, for example for contributing to overexploiting fish resources and threatening food security. However, there is little quantitative evidence of their economic effects. We investigate how European Union (EU) fishing access agreements affect African partner countries’ fishery exports to OECD countries. We find that:

• Fishery exports to OECD countries are negatively affected when fishing access agreements are inactivated.
• Terminating fishing access agreements with the EU may therefore be a bad idea if one wants to promote fish exports.
• To increase welfare effects from fishery exports, agreements should continue to develop the management of fish resources in partner countries.

The results in this Policy Brief are based on a published article What’s in it for Africa? European Union fishing access agreements and fishery exports from developing countries, World Development 113, p. 172-185.