Open access fisheries utilization with an endogenous regulatory structure: An expanded analysis

The paper expands the Homans/Wilen model of endogenous fisheries management by providing a more general dynamic formulation, by introducing a disaggregated vessel level analysis, by comparing three different strategies to achieve the target harvest level, and by considering the possibility of political intervention in setting target harvest levels based on the economic conditions of participants. It is demonstrated that using different regulations to support the same total harvest program will cause the fishery to behave differently with respect to the shape of the time path, equilibrium fleet size, season length, vessel daily output level, and in some cases the possibility of achieving an equilibrium. Also, political intervention to relax total harvest levels will change the time path and can change the equilibrium.