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Nature, Society, and Culture
The Tragedy of the Commodity: Oceans, Fisheries, and Aquaculture
Winner of the 2017 Paul Sweezy Marxist Sociology Book Award from the American Sociological Association
Although humans have long depended on oceans and aquatic ecosystems for sustenance and trade, only recently has human influence on these resources dramatically increased, transforming and undermining oceanic environments throughout the world. Marine ecosystems are in a crisis that is global in scope, rapid in pace, and colossal in scale. In The Tragedy of the Commodity , sociologists Stefano B. Longo, Rebecca Clausen, and Brett Clark explore the role human influence plays in this crisis, highlighting the social and economic forces that are at the heart of this looming ecological problem.
In a critique of the classic theory “the tragedy of the commons” by ecologist Garrett Hardin, the authors move beyond simplistic explanations—such as unrestrained self-interest or population growth—to argue that it is the commodification of aquatic resources that leads to the depletion of fisheries and the development of environmentally suspect means of aquaculture. To illustrate this argument, the book features two fascinating case studies—the thousand-year history of the bluefin tuna fishery in the Mediterranean and the massive Pacific salmon fishery. Longo, Clausen, and Clark describe how new fishing technologies, transformations in ships and storage capacities, and the expansion of seafood markets combined to alter radically and permanently these crucial ecosystems. In doing so, the authors underscore how the particular organization of social production contributes to ecological degradation and an increase in the pressures placed upon the ocean. The authors highlight the historical, political, economic, and cultural forces that shape how we interact with the larger biophysical world.
A path-breaking analysis of overfishing, The Tragedy of the Commodity yields insight into issues such as deforestation, biodiversity loss, pollution, and climate change.
Although humans have long depended on oceans and aquatic ecosystems for sustenance and trade, only recently has human influence on these resources dramatically increased, transforming and undermining oceanic environments throughout the world. Marine ecosystems are in a crisis that is global in scope, rapid in pace, and colossal in scale. In The Tragedy of the Commodity , sociologists Stefano B. Longo, Rebecca Clausen, and Brett Clark explore the role human influence plays in this crisis, highlighting the social and economic forces that are at the heart of this looming ecological problem.
In a critique of the classic theory “the tragedy of the commons” by ecologist Garrett Hardin, the authors move beyond simplistic explanations—such as unrestrained self-interest or population growth—to argue that it is the commodification of aquatic resources that leads to the depletion of fisheries and the development of environmentally suspect means of aquaculture. To illustrate this argument, the book features two fascinating case studies—the thousand-year history of the bluefin tuna fishery in the Mediterranean and the massive Pacific salmon fishery. Longo, Clausen, and Clark describe how new fishing technologies, transformations in ships and storage capacities, and the expansion of seafood markets combined to alter radically and permanently these crucial ecosystems. In doing so, the authors underscore how the particular organization of social production contributes to ecological degradation and an increase in the pressures placed upon the ocean. The authors highlight the historical, political, economic, and cultural forces that shape how we interact with the larger biophysical world.
A path-breaking analysis of overfishing, The Tragedy of the Commodity yields insight into issues such as deforestation, biodiversity loss, pollution, and climate change.
274 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 25, 2021
Cool analysis of the fishing industry. Touches briefly on potential solutions at the end. A tad repetitive.
September 30, 2020
In 1968 rightwing biologist Garrett Hardin published a short article in Science magazine called the “Tragedy of the Commons". In it he argued that if people were left to their own selfish behaviour then resources, such as land, water, air or fish that were held in common would always be destroyed by neglect and overuse.
Theoretically, this surprisingly thin article could have become an argument for strong state regulation to prevent individuals from destroying common resources whether grazing land or fisheries. But in the context of the end of the long boom of the 1950s and 1960s and falling rates of profit it was seized on by people who wanted to privatise everything. It became one of most cited academic articles ever, even though, as Ian Angus points out in “The Myth of the Tragedy of the Commons”, Hardin did not offer any evidence for his assertions. The article’s success was that it chimed with the reassertion of the dominance of privatisation and free market capitalism in the face of post-war redistribution.
The ideology of the Tragedy of the Commons expressed as EEC policies of ITQs and privatisation ensured the destruction of fleets of small boats and processing plants in relatively small fishing ports from Britain to the furthest ends of the Mediterranean. It also further developed the process of commodification in which every fish, shellfish, krill or plankton becomes valued for its market price. That creature’s value in the great multi-layered web of its marine system became of secondary importance—if it was valued at all.
The Tragedy of the Commodity describes the process: “Capitalist commodity production drives fisheries toward intensified production with the central aim of capital accumulation”, so that, “nature is integrated into bio-economic models that are expected to determine the catch level that will bring about greatest returns on investments” (p61).
Part of this process was the development of the theory that it was possible to work out how much of any particular species could be caught without destroying it—the so called “Maximum Sustainable Yield”. Set at around 30 percent of the fish stock, these calculations did not usually take into account the age, size or breeding state of the fish, or its importance to an ecosystem. Yet, Tragedy of the Commodity continues, “Maximum Sustainable Yields are incorporated into Individual Transferable Quota systems to avert tragedies assumed to be caused by the unadulterated self-interest of users. Yet, the institutional arrangements driving the social metabolism towards ever-expanding captures and degradation of the resources are overlooked… The heart of the problem becomes the solution” (pp61-62).
The Tragedy of the Commodity uses case studies of Atlantic Bluefin tuna and Atlantic salmon—both species driven close to destruction—in order to examine the effects of recent “solutions” to specifically capitalist problems of fish production; tuna “ranching”, salmon aquaculture and genetic modification.
My review continues at
https://isj.org.uk/two-books-that-swi...
Theoretically, this surprisingly thin article could have become an argument for strong state regulation to prevent individuals from destroying common resources whether grazing land or fisheries. But in the context of the end of the long boom of the 1950s and 1960s and falling rates of profit it was seized on by people who wanted to privatise everything. It became one of most cited academic articles ever, even though, as Ian Angus points out in “The Myth of the Tragedy of the Commons”, Hardin did not offer any evidence for his assertions. The article’s success was that it chimed with the reassertion of the dominance of privatisation and free market capitalism in the face of post-war redistribution.
The ideology of the Tragedy of the Commons expressed as EEC policies of ITQs and privatisation ensured the destruction of fleets of small boats and processing plants in relatively small fishing ports from Britain to the furthest ends of the Mediterranean. It also further developed the process of commodification in which every fish, shellfish, krill or plankton becomes valued for its market price. That creature’s value in the great multi-layered web of its marine system became of secondary importance—if it was valued at all.
The Tragedy of the Commodity describes the process: “Capitalist commodity production drives fisheries toward intensified production with the central aim of capital accumulation”, so that, “nature is integrated into bio-economic models that are expected to determine the catch level that will bring about greatest returns on investments” (p61).
Part of this process was the development of the theory that it was possible to work out how much of any particular species could be caught without destroying it—the so called “Maximum Sustainable Yield”. Set at around 30 percent of the fish stock, these calculations did not usually take into account the age, size or breeding state of the fish, or its importance to an ecosystem. Yet, Tragedy of the Commodity continues, “Maximum Sustainable Yields are incorporated into Individual Transferable Quota systems to avert tragedies assumed to be caused by the unadulterated self-interest of users. Yet, the institutional arrangements driving the social metabolism towards ever-expanding captures and degradation of the resources are overlooked… The heart of the problem becomes the solution” (pp61-62).
The Tragedy of the Commodity uses case studies of Atlantic Bluefin tuna and Atlantic salmon—both species driven close to destruction—in order to examine the effects of recent “solutions” to specifically capitalist problems of fish production; tuna “ranching”, salmon aquaculture and genetic modification.
My review continues at
https://isj.org.uk/two-books-that-swi...
December 30, 2023
Really helpful for thesis- VERY theory heavy- also super interesting critique of labor systems and interesting through line between failing fisheries, the construction the commodity and development of aquaculture systems.
October 12, 2023
When economics, politics, and technology intersect in a sociological setting, leading to environmental degradation.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews