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• 1. [Article] Modeling Heterogeneous Fishing Fleet in an Ecosystem Based Management Context

  Multispecies fisheries pose a considerable management difficulty with respect to quota allocation between species. Externalities of direct control over the harvest may include, among others, creation of ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Modeling Heterogeneous Fishing Fleet in an Ecosystem Based Management Context Author: Hutniczak, Barbara Multispecies fisheries pose a considerable management difficulty with respect to quota allocation between species. Externalities of direct control over the harvest may include, among others, creation of unbalanced predator‐prey relationships in the environment. That, in turn, may affect the individual economic incentives of fishing vessels. Combining economic and ecological factors in one model has multiple advantages, whereas there have been little attempts to coordinate setting the total allowable catches in multispecies fisheries, particularly in the context of individual decision‐making process. The objective of this article is to develop a methodological framework for multispecies modeling with integrated ecological and economic realism suitable to evaluate the long term implications of the imposed regulations that can be used for better policy guidance. An empirical application is provided for the central Baltic Sea with its interacting fish community dominated by three species: cod, herring and sprat. The developed model includes three separate, dynamically updating, age‐structured submodels for each species, which are linked through predation. The harvest component is associated with the fishing vessels that optimize individual behavior subject to regulations, owned capital and individual technical efficiency derived with the use of a multiproduct distance function. The findings present a clear picture of asymmetries between vessels with respect to harvest process and reveal the rational harvest strategy that is accommodated in the multispecies simulation model. Title: Modeling Heterogeneous Fishing Fleet in an Ecosystem Based Management Context Author: Hutniczak, Barbara Multispecies fisheries pose a considerable management difficulty with respect to quota allocation between species. Externalities of direct control over the harvest may include, among others, creation of unbalanced predator‐prey relationships in the environment. That, in turn, may affect the individual economic incentives of fishing vessels. Combining economic and ecological factors in one model has multiple advantages, whereas there have been little attempts to coordinate setting the total allowable catches in multispecies fisheries, particularly in the context of individual decision‐making process. The objective of this article is to develop a methodological framework for multispecies modeling with integrated ecological and economic realism suitable to evaluate the long term implications of the imposed regulations that can be used for better policy guidance. An empirical application is provided for the central Baltic Sea with its interacting fish community dominated by three species: cod, herring and sprat. The developed model includes three separate, dynamically updating, age‐structured submodels for each species, which are linked through predation. The harvest component is associated with the fishing vessels that optimize individual behavior subject to regulations, owned capital and individual technical efficiency derived with the use of a multiproduct distance function. The findings present a clear picture of asymmetries between vessels with respect to harvest process and reveal the rational harvest strategy that is accommodated in the multispecies simulation model. Close

• 2. [Article] The Role of Expectations in Modeling Fishing Fleet Capacity Changes

  The paper analyzes a situation in which the fishing fleet is subject to restrictive regulation regarding the harvest of its primal target species due to biological overfishing that in turn reveals a high ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Role of Expectations in Modeling Fishing Fleet Capacity Changes Author: Hutniczak, Barbara, Vestergaard, Niels The paper analyzes a situation in which the fishing fleet is subject to restrictive regulation regarding the harvest of its primal target species due to biological overfishing that in turn reveals a high level of overcapacity. The goal is to model fishermen’s expectations and likely responses to the government initiated transition to a sustainable fishery. The question the paper aims to answer is: to what degree anticipation of policy change may be delaying the fleet restructuring process. The investigated setting includes direct intervention in the form of a time‐limited buyback program and two scenarios regarding future regulations. In the first, the fishery continues under Individual Vessel Quotas (IVQs). In the second scenario, introduction of Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) is expected in the near future. Under a rationality assumption, the exit decision depends on the expected sum of discounted profits in comparison with the single buyback payment. The profits in turn depend on expectations regarding the form of the quota that may become a valuable asset in the future. The paper uses a restricted profit function approach. The advantage of the developed model is its flexibility with respect to the multispecies and multigear character of the fishing industry. An application is provided for the Polish trawler fleet targeting primarily cod. Title: The Role of Expectations in Modeling Fishing Fleet Capacity Changes Author: Hutniczak, Barbara, Vestergaard, Niels The paper analyzes a situation in which the fishing fleet is subject to restrictive regulation regarding the harvest of its primal target species due to biological overfishing that in turn reveals a high level of overcapacity. The goal is to model fishermen’s expectations and likely responses to the government initiated transition to a sustainable fishery. The question the paper aims to answer is: to what degree anticipation of policy change may be delaying the fleet restructuring process. The investigated setting includes direct intervention in the form of a time‐limited buyback program and two scenarios regarding future regulations. In the first, the fishery continues under Individual Vessel Quotas (IVQs). In the second scenario, introduction of Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) is expected in the near future. Under a rationality assumption, the exit decision depends on the expected sum of discounted profits in comparison with the single buyback payment. The profits in turn depend on expectations regarding the form of the quota that may become a valuable asset in the future. The paper uses a restricted profit function approach. The advantage of the developed model is its flexibility with respect to the multispecies and multigear character of the fishing industry. An application is provided for the Polish trawler fleet targeting primarily cod. Close

• 3. [Article] On the Efficiency of Polish Fishing Fleets

  The Baltic fishery is managed under the European Union Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) which defines procedures for setting annual total allowable catches (TAC) for major commercially harvested species. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: On the Efficiency of Polish Fishing Fleets Author: Münch, Angela, Hutniczak, Barbara The Baltic fishery is managed under the European Union Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) which defines procedures for setting annual total allowable catches (TAC) for major commercially harvested species. TACs are given as fixed shares to each member state by applying the principal of relative stability. Poland uses non-tradable individual vessel quotas (IVQ) in order to allocate their TACs within their fishery fleet. The lack of tradability of the IVQs as well as the long-term tradition in fishery slowed down an adaptation of the Polish fleets towards changing fish stocks in the Baltic. The resulting overcapacity motivated the Polish government to implement time-limited scrapping program (2009-2011) to create exit incentives. This paper analyzes the remaining post-buyback inefficiencies of the Polish fishing fleet looking at the production structure of major fleet segments. Logbook data of 2012 is used to estimate multi-output and multi-input distance function. Calculated (Morishima) elasticities of substitution are used to determine the flexibility of the fleet in terms of targetability and substitutability between inputs defined as on-site effective effort (E), capital (K) and the travel distance (R). Policy recommendations are derived to increase fleet efficiency besides the first-best solution of tradable quotas. Title: On the Efficiency of Polish Fishing Fleets Author: Münch, Angela, Hutniczak, Barbara The Baltic fishery is managed under the European Union Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) which defines procedures for setting annual total allowable catches (TAC) for major commercially harvested species. TACs are given as fixed shares to each member state by applying the principal of relative stability. Poland uses non-tradable individual vessel quotas (IVQ) in order to allocate their TACs within their fishery fleet. The lack of tradability of the IVQs as well as the long-term tradition in fishery slowed down an adaptation of the Polish fleets towards changing fish stocks in the Baltic. The resulting overcapacity motivated the Polish government to implement time-limited scrapping program (2009-2011) to create exit incentives. This paper analyzes the remaining post-buyback inefficiencies of the Polish fishing fleet looking at the production structure of major fleet segments. Logbook data of 2012 is used to estimate multi-output and multi-input distance function. Calculated (Morishima) elasticities of substitution are used to determine the flexibility of the fleet in terms of targetability and substitutability between inputs defined as on-site effective effort (E), capital (K) and the travel distance (R). Policy recommendations are derived to increase fleet efficiency besides the first-best solution of tradable quotas. Close

• 4. [Article] Fishermen's Location Choice under Spatio-Temporal Update of Expectations

  Information acquired by fishermen while fishing play a crucial role in their decision-making process. Those are used to form the basis for update of beliefs on productivity of a range of available fishing ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Fishermen's Location Choice under Spatio-Temporal Update of Expectations Author: Munch, Angela, Hutniczak, Barbara Information acquired by fishermen while fishing play a crucial role in their decision-making process. Those are used to form the basis for update of beliefs on productivity of a range of available fishing grounds while acting in an uncertain environment. In this paper, we focus on the formation of fishermen's beliefs about the productivity of fishing grounds based on signals obtained through harvest activity. We task ourselves with better understanding of the impact of prior experience on the at-sea day-to-day decision with respect to location choice. We investigate how obtained signals are propagated over time and space considering knowledge decay with increasing spatial and temporal separation, hence, incorporating intertemporal and spatial correlation between gained experience and future expectations. The parameters of the updating process are derived by fitting a dynamic Bayesian model to available data of location choices. The signal propagation parameters are derived by fitting the multinomial logit model to simulated expectations data paired with observed discrete location choices. Our motivation is that successful fisheries management must be able to accurately predict the response of fishermen to fishery regulations with particular attention paid to flexible technologies where individuals can adjust effort and alter fishing behavior. Good understanding of fishermen location choice and location adjustment flexibility can contribute substantially to a design of management practices with spatial components. We apply our model to the Polish bottom trawler fleet in the Baltic Sea. Title: Fishermen's Location Choice under Spatio-Temporal Update of Expectations Author: Munch, Angela, Hutniczak, Barbara Information acquired by fishermen while fishing play a crucial role in their decision-making process. Those are used to form the basis for update of beliefs on productivity of a range of available fishing grounds while acting in an uncertain environment. In this paper, we focus on the formation of fishermen's beliefs about the productivity of fishing grounds based on signals obtained through harvest activity. We task ourselves with better understanding of the impact of prior experience on the at-sea day-to-day decision with respect to location choice. We investigate how obtained signals are propagated over time and space considering knowledge decay with increasing spatial and temporal separation, hence, incorporating intertemporal and spatial correlation between gained experience and future expectations. The parameters of the updating process are derived by fitting a dynamic Bayesian model to available data of location choices. The signal propagation parameters are derived by fitting the multinomial logit model to simulated expectations data paired with observed discrete location choices. Our motivation is that successful fisheries management must be able to accurately predict the response of fishermen to fishery regulations with particular attention paid to flexible technologies where individuals can adjust effort and alter fishing behavior. Good understanding of fishermen location choice and location adjustment flexibility can contribute substantially to a design of management practices with spatial components. We apply our model to the Polish bottom trawler fleet in the Baltic Sea. Close

• 5. [Article] Measuring the Value of Forage Fish to Recreational Fishermen

  Fisheries management has been traditionally single-species oriented. Only recently more pressure has been put on developing a holistic, science-based approach that considers the ecosystem as a whole. This ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Measuring the Value of Forage Fish to Recreational Fishermen Author: Lipton, Doug, Hutniczak, Barbara, Townsend, Howard Fisheries management has been traditionally single-species oriented. Only recently more pressure has been put on developing a holistic, science-based approach that considers the ecosystem as a whole. This approach is widely known as ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM). One of the most often highlighted aspects of EBFM is the relevance of predator-prey interactions in the aquatic ecosystems. The motivation is that there are considerable trade-offs between the supporting role of forage species as energy conveyors in food webs and provisioning service as target species to fisheries. We study this aspect by looking at the Chesapeake Bay. The motivation is a recent debate on the potential impact of excessive forage base fishing. In particular, we are interested in the propagation of forage overfishing through the food web and its influence on more valuable, higher trophic species fisheries. We develop a Bayesian model of recreational harvest of striped bass where benefits are derived from stock size as well as age structure. The age structure drives the probability of catching a fish of a particular size what is of considerable importance to the fishery highly constrained by minimum catch size regulations. Then, using a dynamic multispecies framework (Ecosim) and modified random utility model, we analyze multiple scenarios varying by menhaden regulations and derive benefits changes imposed on the striped bass recreational fishery. We focus on the recreational sector as recent research indicates that the recreational fishing is becoming increasingly important and new management strategies may be necessary to address this shifting trend. Title: Measuring the Value of Forage Fish to Recreational Fishermen Author: Lipton, Doug, Hutniczak, Barbara, Townsend, Howard Fisheries management has been traditionally single-species oriented. Only recently more pressure has been put on developing a holistic, science-based approach that considers the ecosystem as a whole. This approach is widely known as ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM). One of the most often highlighted aspects of EBFM is the relevance of predator-prey interactions in the aquatic ecosystems. The motivation is that there are considerable trade-offs between the supporting role of forage species as energy conveyors in food webs and provisioning service as target species to fisheries. We study this aspect by looking at the Chesapeake Bay. The motivation is a recent debate on the potential impact of excessive forage base fishing. In particular, we are interested in the propagation of forage overfishing through the food web and its influence on more valuable, higher trophic species fisheries. We develop a Bayesian model of recreational harvest of striped bass where benefits are derived from stock size as well as age structure. The age structure drives the probability of catching a fish of a particular size what is of considerable importance to the fishery highly constrained by minimum catch size regulations. Then, using a dynamic multispecies framework (Ecosim) and modified random utility model, we analyze multiple scenarios varying by menhaden regulations and derive benefits changes imposed on the striped bass recreational fishery. We focus on the recreational sector as recent research indicates that the recreational fishing is becoming increasingly important and new management strategies may be necessary to address this shifting trend. Close

• 6. [Article] The Wealth of Ecosystems: Valuing Natural Capital in the Context of Ecosystem Based Management

  Suggested Bibliographic Reference: Challenging New Frontiers in the Global Seafood Sector: Proceedings of the Eighteenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Wealth of Ecosystems: Valuing Natural Capital in the Context of Ecosystem Based Management Author: Abbott, Joshua, Hutniczak, Barbara, Seong, Do Yun, Fenichel, Eli Year: 2016 Suggested Bibliographic Reference: Challenging New Frontiers in the Global Seafood Sector: Proceedings of the Eighteenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade, July 11-15, 2016. Compiled by Stefani J. Evers and Ann L. Shriver. International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade (IIFET), Corvallis, 2016. Title: The Wealth of Ecosystems: Valuing Natural Capital in the Context of Ecosystem Based Management Author: Abbott, Joshua, Hutniczak, Barbara, Seong, Do Yun, Fenichel, Eli Year: 2016 Suggested Bibliographic Reference: Challenging New Frontiers in the Global Seafood Sector: Proceedings of the Eighteenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade, July 11-15, 2016. Compiled by Stefani J. Evers and Ann L. Shriver. International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade (IIFET), Corvallis, 2016. Close

• 7. [Article] Optimal Quota Allocation in Multispecies Environment

  Research Paper and Powerpoint Presentation

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Optimal Quota Allocation in Multispecies Environment Author: Hutniczak, Barbara Research Paper and Powerpoint Presentation Title: Optimal Quota Allocation in Multispecies Environment Author: Hutniczak, Barbara Research Paper and Powerpoint Presentation Close

• 8. [Article] The Value of Research Involved in Stock Assessment

  Suggested Bibliographic Reference: Challenging New Frontiers in the Global Seafood Sector: Proceedings of the Eighteenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Value of Research Involved in Stock Assessment Author: Wiedenmann, John, Lipton, Doug, Hutniczak, Barbara, Wilberg, Michael Year: 2016 Suggested Bibliographic Reference: Challenging New Frontiers in the Global Seafood Sector: Proceedings of the Eighteenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade, July 11-15, 2016. Compiled by Stefani J. Evers and Ann L. Shriver. International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade (IIFET), Corvallis, 2016. Title: The Value of Research Involved in Stock Assessment Author: Wiedenmann, John, Lipton, Doug, Hutniczak, Barbara, Wilberg, Michael Year: 2016 Suggested Bibliographic Reference: Challenging New Frontiers in the Global Seafood Sector: Proceedings of the Eighteenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade, July 11-15, 2016. Compiled by Stefani J. Evers and Ann L. Shriver. International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade (IIFET), Corvallis, 2016. Close