Fisheries in the Roman World: Access, Control, and Organization

In the Roman world, marine, lagoonal, and riverine fisheries were regularly exploited. Unlike modern times, the concept of territorial waters did not exist in antiquity, and the state did not impose any monopoly on the sea and its exploitation rights. However, internal bodies of water such as lagoons could be owned by the state or by individuals. This legal framework co-existed alongside informal rights, which impacted the access individuals could have to the sea and its resources. The article discusses the issue of access to fisheries. It first examines the difference in Roman law between the sea and internal waters and why past scholars thought that in some cases the Roman state could control marine fishing rights. It then addresses the special case of lagoons and the disputes arising from the control of these fisheries before examining the organization and financing of fishing activity.