Fisheries
Economic puzzle
A fish population can regrow, but harvest today changes both the biological stock and tomorrow’s harvesting cost. Open access can turn a valuable asset into a race to fish.
Question directions
- Do catch shares change stock status, season length, or fleet composition?
- When does a marine protected area improve harvest outside its boundary?
- How do community rules compare with individual quotas when monitoring is costly?
- Who gains and loses when a fishery rebuilds under a tighter catch limit?
Model hook
Combine logistic biological growth with harvest effort:
X_{t+1}=X_t+rX_t\left(1-\frac{X_t}{K}\right)-H_t.
Compare open access, a total allowable catch, individual transferable quotas, or a community rule. Keep maximum sustainable yield distinct from the economically efficient stock.
Official starting evidence
- NOAA Fisheries stock-status updates explain the overfishing and overfished classifications.
- NOAA Stock SMART data downloads provide assessment and stock-status data for many federally managed stocks.
- A regional fishery-management council can supply local regulations, amendment histories, and meeting records.
Feasible unit of analysis
Choose one stock or a small, comparable set of stocks. Define the time period and policy change before downloading a large national file.
A stock may recover after a policy change because of favorable recruitment, prices, enforcement, or other rules. A before-and-after graph documents timing; it does not by itself isolate the policy effect.