The Structure of Fishing Systems and the Implementation of Management Policy

Abstract

Management policies that achieve desired results are difficult to design. This is particularly true in multispecies fisheries where policies are developed on a single species basis and the economic reasons for existing operating structures are ignored. This paper discusses the problem of effort control in the multispecies groundfishery of Oregon, arguing that an understanding of the economic structure of the fishery as a system is a necessary precondition for successful management. To reflect the economic structure of the fishery, functional groupings of landings data are made by season and operating strategy. Resultant catch mixes exhibit strong seasonality, distinct differences in species composition, and a reduced variability in revenues earned. These properties suggest that catch mixes are an important element of economic structure and that a data base organized along single-species lines is inappropriate for management decisions. They further suggest that an explicit recognition of the economic structure of a fishery will lead to better anticipation of both management impacts and fishermen’s response, and thereby to more effective policy implementation.