Fisheries development planning in Kuwait: An integer programming model

This paper outlines a modelling framework for assessing the implication of long term fisheries policy decisions. It illustrates an approach to model building that begins with establishment of a matrix reflecting the basic features of the fisheries sector and then proceeds to incorporate these features into an integer programming model. The model estimates the real cost of alternative policies and takes into account the various biological and economic constraints to production. The model has provided a valuable tool for the assessment of different policy options for Kuwait’s fisheries sector. Such options involved establishing the most appropriate way to maximize fresh-fish self-sufficiency while reconciling the production from multi-gear multi-species capture fisheries with the need to develop an aquaculture industry in the country.