Master's in Fisheries and Natural Resources Law
This master's gives you comprehensive training in the legal framework that governs the sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems and their resources. Through a multidisciplinary approach, it explores the intersection of environmental law, fisheries economics and biodiversity conservation, and prepares you to handle the regulatory challenges of a sector that is crucial for food security and sustainable development: from international agreements and EU fisheries policy to national licensing, control, sanctions, traceability, aquaculture and the social dimension of fishing.
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What is the Master's in Fisheries and Natural Resources Law?
This master's covers fisheries law from the international level down to day-to-day enforcement. You will study the legal foundations of natural resource management and the rights and duties of coastal, flag and port states; the law of the sea, regional fisheries management organizations, port state measures and the fight against IUU fishing; the EU framework of TACs and quotas, technical measures, the landing obligation, control and market organization; national and regional fisheries legislation, licensing, effort management, first sale and sanctioning procedures; conservation, marine protected areas and environmental assessment; traceability, catch certificates and corporate compliance; contracts, concessions and financing in the seafood chain; aquaculture and marine spatial planning; and the rights of coastal communities and small-scale fishers.
What sets this master's apart: it is applied rather than purely theoretical, teaching you to build regulatory maps, compliance matrices, inspection protocols and traceability systems; it connects fisheries law with contracts, insurance, ESG obligations and project due diligence, so you can advise both public authorities and companies; it devotes a full module to EU fisheries control, VMS, electronic logbooks and the point system for serious infringements; and it closes with a Final Project in which you solve a real regulatory problem, from a fishery or MPA to an IUU case, an aquaculture facility or a sea-use conflict.
Program highlights
- International fisheries law: UNCLOS zones, high seas conservation, RFMOs, port state measures and flag state duties.
- EU fisheries policy: TACs and quotas, technical measures, landing obligation, licensing, structural policy and markets.
- National licensing, effort management, closed seasons, first sale, infringements and the sanctioning procedure.
- Traceability, catch certificates, VMS/AIS, electronic logbooks, IUU fishing and corporate compliance programs.
- Aquaculture law, marine spatial planning, contracts and concessions, and the social dimension of fisheries.
- Final Project: a complete legal and technical solution to a real fisheries or natural resources regulatory problem.
Syllabus of the Master's in Fisheries and Natural Resources Law
11 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Legal foundations of fisheries and natural resource management
- 1.1. Core concepts: natural resource, public good, public domain, sustainability and precaution
- 1.2. Applicable sources of law: domestic, European and international rules, soft law and case law
- 1.3. Principles of governance: transparency, participation, accountability and the ecosystem approach
- 1.4. The legal regime of the sea: maritime zones and powers (structural overview)
- 1.5. Rights and obligations of the coastal state, the flag state and the port state
- 1.6. Fishery resources as common heritage: access, allocation, equity and use conflicts
- 1.7. The institutional framework: competent administrations, agencies, scientific committees and advisory bodies
- 1.8. Management instruments: plans, quotas, effort, closed seasons, minimum sizes, gear and technical measures
- 1.9. Liability and redress: environmental damage, restoration and compensation
- 1.10. Ethics, compliance and a culture of legality in the fishing sector
The international law of the sea and fisheries agreements
- 2.1. Key conventions and treaties: structure, hierarchy and applicability
- 2.2. The EEZ, the high seas, the continental shelf and special areas: implications for fisheries
- 2.3. Conservation and management on the high seas: challenges, coordination and compliance
- 2.4. Regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs): how they work and how they make decisions
- 2.5. Port state measures: control of landings, inspections and cooperation
- 2.6. IUU fishing: definitions, types, vessel lists and measures against illegality
- 2.7. Flags and flag state control: due diligence and responsibilities
- 2.8. Bilateral and multilateral agreements: access, compensation, clauses and verification
- 2.9. Dispute settlement: mechanisms, arbitration and the role of international tribunals
- 2.10. International cooperation: data exchange, observers and technical assistance
The EU regulatory framework and fisheries policy
- 3.1. Structure of the European framework: regulations, directives, delegated and implementing acts
- 3.2. Management through TACs and quotas: allocation, relative stability, swaps and adjustments
- 3.3. Technical measures: gear, selectivity, discards, minimum sizes and spatial and temporal closures
- 3.4. Control and inspection: traceability, electronic logbooks, VMS/AIS and operator obligations
- 3.5. The landing obligation and bycatch management (legal and operational approach)
- 3.6. Access to waters and the licensing regime: authorizations, conditions and sanctions
- 3.7. Structural policy: fleet, capacity, aid, funds and eligibility conditions
- 3.8. Marketing: common market organization, labeling, consumer information and chain of custody
- 3.9. Litigation and compliance: appeals, interim measures and relevant precedents
- 3.10. Integration with environmental policy: consistency with conservation and biodiversity objectives
National and regional fisheries legislation (applied approach)
- 4.1. Allocation of powers: the state, regional authorities and local bodies
- 4.2. Types of fishing: small-scale and industrial, recreational, shellfish harvesting and aquaculture, and their legal regimes
- 4.3. Licenses, permits and authorizations: requirements, validity, amendments and revocation
- 4.4. Fishers' guilds, producer organizations and their corporate and representative regime
- 4.5. Effort management: fleet registers, capacity, days at sea, engine power and operational limits
- 4.6. Closed seasons, reserves and protected areas: legal basis, procedure and control
- 4.7. Landing, first sale and fish auctions: obligations, documentation and traceability
- 4.8. Infringements and sanctions: classification, proportionality, repeat offenses and confiscation
- 4.9. The administrative sanctioning procedure: safeguards, evidence, appeals and limitation periods
- 4.10. Inspection at sea and in port: powers, inspection reports, provisional measures and chain of custody
Conservation, biodiversity and marine habitat management
- 5.1. The ecosystem approach: objectives, indicators and biological limits
- 5.2. Marine protected areas, reserves and spatial measures: legal design and management
- 5.3. Protected species and sensitive habitats: obligations, prohibitions and exceptional authorizations
- 5.4. Environmental impact assessment (EIA): fisheries projects, ports, dredging and aquaculture
- 5.5. Strategic environmental assessment (SEA): fisheries plans, coastal planning and MSP
- 5.6. By-products, discards and waste: environmental obligations and the circular economy in the sector
- 5.7. Marine pollution and liability: spills, lost gear, plastics and operator obligations
- 5.8. Climate change and adaptation: resilience, dynamic closures and risk-based management
- 5.9. Restoration and offsets: corrective measures, habitat banking and monitoring
- 5.10. Coordinating fisheries and conservation: use conflicts and reconciliation mechanisms
Compliance, traceability and the fight against illegal fishing (IUU)
- 6.1. Traceability systems from sea to consumer: critical points and documentation
- 6.2. Catch certificates, transshipments and supply chain control
- 6.3. Technology-based control: VMS/AIS, ERS and electronic logbooks, electronic monitoring (legal perspective)
- 6.4. Inspections and audits: planning, sampling, evidence and findings
- 6.5. Proof and evidence: standards, custody of samples, document and digital forensics
- 6.6. Sanctioning regimes: administrative and, where applicable, criminal; proportionality and effectiveness
- 6.7. Corporate compliance: internal programs, codes, training and whistleblowing channels
- 6.8. Due diligence in purchasing: suppliers, high-risk flags, blacklists and mitigation
- 6.9. Cross-border cooperation: information exchange and coordinated procedures
- 6.10. Practical cases: designing a compliance plan and responding to an inspection or incident
Contracts, concessions and financing in natural resources
- 7.1. Contracts in the seafood chain: supply, transport, processing and marketing
- 7.2. Concessions and authorizations: ports, aquaculture, occupation of the public domain and easements
- 7.3. Critical clauses: quality, traceability, liability, insurance, force majeure and termination
- 7.4. Public procurement and aid: tenders, criteria, eligibility and control of grants
- 7.5. Insurance and risk management: coverage, claims, expert surveys and documentation
- 7.6. Dispute resolution: mediation, arbitration, jurisdiction and enforcement
- 7.7. Contractual compliance: audits, KPIs, penalties and incentives
- 7.8. ESG and sustainability: contractual obligations, reporting and verification
- 7.9. Legal due diligence for projects: permit matrix, risks and regulatory timeline
- 7.10. Financing models: project finance (conceptual), guarantees and regulatory bankability
Aquaculture, coastal resources and maritime spatial planning
- 8.1. The legal framework of aquaculture: licenses, biosecurity and environmental requirements
- 8.2. Animal health and welfare: controls, notification, handling and operator liability
- 8.3. Coastal use and conflicts: tourism, energy, conservation, navigation and fishing
- 8.4. Marine spatial planning (MSP): zoning, participation and evaluation
- 8.5. Discharges, effluents and water quality: limits, monitoring and compliance
- 8.6. Alien and invasive species: permits, controls and responsibilities
- 8.7. Certifications and standards: legal requirements versus voluntary market standards
- 8.8. The circular economy in aquaculture: by-products, valorization and obligations
- 8.9. Common litigation: neighbors, concessions, sanctions, renewals and expirations
- 8.10. Applied case: a complete file for setting up and operating a facility in compliance with the law
The social dimension: rights, participation and environmental justice
- 9.1. Rights of coastal communities: access, livelihoods and local governance
- 9.2. Small-scale fisheries and equity: allocation of quotas, licenses and differentiated measures
- 9.3. Transparency and public participation: consultations, submissions and building legitimacy
- 9.4. Social and environmental conflicts: negotiation, evidence, expert reports and agreements
- 9.5. Labor rights and working conditions on board: regulatory and operational approach
- 9.6. Gender and inclusion in the sector: regulatory approaches and programs
- 9.7. Environmental justice and redress: criteria, precedents and mechanisms
- 9.8. Risk communication: incidents, closures, pollution and public trust
- 9.9. Multilevel governance: inter-administrative coordination and regulatory consistency
- 9.10. Public policy design: theory of change, indicators and impact evaluation
Fisheries control, inspection and sanctions
- 10.1. EU fisheries control systems
- 10.2. Satellite vessel monitoring (VMS)
- 10.3. Electronic fishing logbooks
- 10.4. Inspection at sea and in port
- 10.5. Control of landings and first sale
- 10.6. Infringement and sanction regime
- 10.7. The point system for serious infringements
- 10.8. International cooperation in control
- 10.9. The administrative sanctioning procedure
- 10.10. Practical case files
Final Project
- 11.1. Case selection: a real regulatory problem (a fishery, an MPA, IUU fishing, aquaculture or a use conflict)
- 11.2. Regulatory map: applicable sources, hierarchy, powers and verifiable obligations
- 11.3. Legal and technical diagnosis: compliance gaps, risks, stakeholders and critical points
- 11.4. Regulatory strategy: a reasoned proposal of legislative, administrative or management measures
- 11.5. Design of instruments: management plan, license conditions, inspection protocol or traceability system
- 11.6. Compliance matrix: controls, evidence, responsibilities, deadlines, KPIs and audits
- 11.7. Impact assessment: legality, proportionality, economic feasibility and social and environmental effects
- 11.8. Dispute management: appeal routes, legal defense, evidence and communication strategy
- 11.9. Final dossier: annexes, document templates, permit checklist and implementation plan
- 11.10. Defense: legal argumentation, analysis of trade-offs and a continuous improvement roadmap
Duration and format of the Master's in Fisheries and Natural Resources Law
It is 1,500 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Master's in Fisheries and Natural Resources Law
Career opportunities after the Master's in Fisheries and Natural Resources Law
Questions about the Master's in Fisheries and Natural Resources Law
The law applied to fisheries and the management of natural resources: international agreements, EU fisheries policy, national legislation, control and sanctions, traceability, conservation and aquaculture.
Both. It moves from the law of the sea and RFMOs through the EU framework down to national and regional legislation, licensing and sanctioning procedures, always with a comparative and applied approach.
Yes. You study IUU definitions and vessel lists, port state measures, flag state duties, catch certificates, traceability, electronic monitoring, evidence and corporate due diligence in purchasing.
Yes. Alongside regulation and enforcement, it covers compliance programs, contracts, concessions, insurance, ESG obligations and legal due diligence for fisheries and aquaculture projects.
Online, with resources available around the clock, interactive discussion forums and individual tutoring so you can learn at your own pace.
Through practical cases and assignments throughout the modules and a Final Project in which you analyze a real regulatory problem and deliver a complete dossier with regulatory strategy, compliance matrix and implementation plan.
A Navalis Institute master's certificate and a Final Project dossier with templates, permit checklists and legal analysis that you can use as a professional portfolio.
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Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: a degree in law, environmental sciences, marine biology, agricultural engineering or a related field, or professional experience in the fisheries sector or natural resource management.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with camera and microphone, a stable internet connection and software for viewing documents.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.