| dc.description.abstract | This paper shows how intra-stock relations, such as cannibalism and growth enhancement, define
the optimal sharing of a fish resource between heterogeneous harve sting agents. The sharing of
resources between different vessel groups is often left for political decision making. Nonetheless,
such decIsions may have both biological and economic consequences. This becomes quite clear
when different harvesting groups exploit different sections (age groups) of a stock that has
intra-stock interactions in the form of cannibalism. A two-agent bioeconomic model with
cannibalism is developed and used to determIne (i) optimal annual harvest sizes (T ACS) for cod,
and (ii) the optimal proportion of the T AC that should be harvested by the trawler and coastal fleets.
Applying biological and economIc data in a numerical procedure, and comparing the results
obtained to previous studies, it is shown that the presence of cannibalism has a significant impact on
who should take what proportion of the T AC, and hence, the standing stock size and discounted
economIc rent achievable. In sharp contrast to other studies, we find that the optimal harvest
requires that both trawlers and coastal vessels should harve st the fish resource. In addition, the
results indicate that from a bioeconomic perspective, the existing trawler fleets harvest share in the
cod fishery is too high. | |
