University of Tasmania
Browse

The impact of stock collapse on small-scale fishers’ behavior: Evidence from Japan

Download (1.7 MB)
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 16:49 authored by Kiyama, S, Satoshi YamazakiSatoshi Yamazaki
To implement effective resource management and development policies, understanding behavioral responses of resource users to environmental changes and incentives created by management systems is imperative. A small-scale mixed fishery in the Maizuru Bay, Japan provides a natural experiment to evaluate changes in small-scale fishers’ harvesting and targeting behavior over the years that one of the key species in the fishery experienced a collapse of the stock. Using data on individual fishers across the pre- and post-collapse periods, we find that inefficient fishers were forced to shut down or stay idle along with the collapse of the stock, and this behavior led to an increase in the overall efficiency in the production of clams. The depletion of the stock, however, imposed a natural constraint on the operation, resulting in a significant decline in the maximum production achievable by the remaining fishers. We further show that the collapse of the stock not only affected the harvesting behavior against the declining species but also led to the expansion of the fishing capacity and effort to catch other species and the development of aquaculture as an alternative form of fish production in the region.

History

Publication title

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

Volume

75

Issue

12

Pagination

2241-2254

ISSN

0706-652X

Department/School

TSBE

Publisher

Natl Research Council Canada

Place of publication

Research Journals, Montreal Rd, Ottawa, Canada, Ontario, K1A 0R6

Rights statement

Copyright 2018 remains with the author(s) or their institution(s).

Repository Status

  • Open

Socio-economic Objectives

Preference, behaviour and welfare

Usage metrics

    University Of Tasmania

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC