A bioeconomic model of recreational angling in the Northeast U.S. groundfish fishery

This paper describes a dynamic bioeconomic model of recreational angling that is used to provide policy relevant advice to managers of the groundfish fishery in the Northeast United States. Data from a choice experiment... [ view full abstract ]

This paper describes a dynamic bioeconomic model of recreational angling that is used to provide policy relevant advice to managers of the groundfish fishery in the Northeast United States. Data from a choice experiment survey are used to construct a predictive model of changes in angler effort resulting from changes in management actions that affect possession and size restrictions.  The inclusion of the size-structure of both standing biomass and recreationally caught fish allows us to project future economic and biological conditions.  Simulations are conducted to examine the effects of alternative management scenarios on angler effort, catch, and welfare as well as the uncertainty associated with those effects.  We provide an overview of the model and describe the challenges encountered with using this modeling approach to develop recreational fishery policies.  Specifically, time lags in the availability of scientific information, uncertainties in that information, and institutional constraints of the management system can be obstacles to using this modeling approach effectively.  Despite these shortcomings, we believe integration of this decision support tool into the fishery management process represents a substantial step forward in the science of fisheries management.