Economics of science in fishery sector—the European case

Fisheries research organisations are described as large entities. In the European Union, Iceland, Israel and Norway, one or two main fisheries research institutes have been identified. In this detailed examination, research programmes in fisheries is presented in various technological fields. Theoretical knowledge of Evolutionary economics is used to understand the functioning of fisheries research in these 17 countries. Concepts of technological trajectories, path-dependancy, technological lock-in are valuable. Six main technological trajectories synthetize the foundations of research in fisheries amongst European Union, Iceland, Israel and Norway. It deals with fishery biology, fishing gear technology, aquaculture, ecology, quality (of habitat anf fish), and socioeconomics. For example, most of research institutes are concerned with the trajectory of fishery biology. In others cases, specificities exist in a few countries as socioeconomics.