Controlling the Biological Invasion of a Commercial Fishery by a Space Competitor: A Bioeconomic Model with Reference to the Bay of St-Brieuc Scallop Fishery

This paper presents a bioeconomic model of a commercial fishery facing biological invasion by an alien species acting as a space competitor for the native species. The model is illustrated in a case study of the common scallop fishery of the Bay of St-Brieuc (France), where biological invasion by a slipper-limpet (Crepidula fornicata) is now addressed by a control program. First we present the model, which combines the dynamics of the two competing stocks. We then use the model to analyze the equilibrium of the fishery under various assumptions concerning invasive species control, and to assess the social cost of the invasion. Finally we propose a set of dynamic simulations concerning the ongoing program, emphasizing the influence of its starting date on its overall economic results.aquatic invasive species, biological invasion control, common scallop, ecosystemic fisheries management, plurispecies bioeconomic modeling, slipper-limpet, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Testing for Consistency in Tourists' Willingness to Pay for New Nature Reserves in the Gulf of Morbihan (France)

In this paper, we develop an empirical test of consistency in contingent willingness to pay (WTP) responses, which is based on the following a priori expectation. In economics, when an individual considers paying for public goods, his decision to pay, and his WTP are based on utility-maximising behaviour. Accordingly, supposing other factors are identical, if individual A expresses greater interest in paying for public goods in general than individual B, that is because A receives more benefits from the use and/or the non-use of these goods than B. Continuing with this logic, if both individuals are asked about their WTP for a precise public good, A should logically be more likely to pay and should be willing to pay more than B. Thus, the test consists in measuring the degree to which people are likely to give money for public goods in general, and including it as a covariate in WTP models for the specific public good. If this covariate is significantly positive, then WTP responses are considered consistent. If this is not the case, then future research might focus on motives behind inconsistent WTP responses. To assess the robustness of the test, we consider 3 situations 1) the covariate is exogenous 2) it is endogenous and uncorrelated with the choice to pay or not for the specific good 3) it is endogenous and correlated with this choice. Using a contingent valuation study estimating tourists’ willingness to pay for future nature reserves in the Gulf of Morbihan, we find that WTP responses are consistent in all situations considered.contingent valuation, consistency, endogeneity, Consumer/Household Economics, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, C24, D12, Q26,

Effet d’une taxe et d’un droit d’entrée sur les consentements à payer des touristes pour de nouvelles réserves naturelles dans le golfe du Morbihan

(article en français) Using contingent valuation method, this paper empirically examines the effects of a special accommodation tax and an entrance fee on tourists’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) for new nature reserves in the Gulf of Morbihan (France). The results show that the payment vehicles affect not only the decision to pay, but also the amounts given. Beyond this significant impact, they demonstrate that tourists receive a benefit from the creation of nature reserves.contingent valuation method, nature reserve, payment vehicle, accommodation tax, entrance fee, tourist

Assessing the Impact of Marine Protected Areas on Recreational Uses of a Marine Ecosystem: The Case of Scuba Diving

This paper studies the consequences of creating a marine protected area (MPA) on a recreational non-extractive use of the ecosystem (scuba diving), and draws a parallel with the impact of MPAs on commercial fishing. The first part of the paper presents some preliminary results of a field survey of scuba divers frequenting three French MPAs, in the Mediterranean and in the Pacific Ocean. The aim of this survey was to characterize the behaviour of divers, and to provide information for an assessment of the economic value of MPAs. On the basis of these preliminary results, the second part of the paper proposes a simple illustrative model of demand for diving, taking into account both environmental and congestion effects of MPAs

Sea-ranching in the bay of Brest (France): Technical change and institutional adaptation of a scallop fishery facing environmental hazards

This paper analyses the management strategy that was adopted by a local fishers organisation in order to promote a restocking/sea-ranching program concerning a small-scale shellfish fishery, the scallop fishery of the bay of Brest (France). Two main topics are addressed: space management and access regulation, in a context dominated by a cost-recovery constraint. First, the paper describes the program and its results, and then it presents the system that was developed for its management. Finally, major limits of this system and possible evolutions are discussed. The main conclusion is that the local fishers organisation in charge of the program has proven ability to develop innovative and pragmatic management solutions in a rather unfavourable institutional context. However, though solutions are uncompleted and fragile, due to new environmental hazards.Extended abstract

Les objectifs d’une politique publique vus par les acteurs : une analyse multicritères de la politique commune de la pêche

Cet article présente la méthodologie et les résultats d’un projet de recherche consacré aux objectifs de la politique commune de la pêche. Une technique d’analyse multicritères est utilisée pour révéler les  références des groupes d’acteurs en matière d’objectifs d’aménagement des pêcheries. Les résultats obtenus à l’aide de cette technique permettent de déterminer les coefficients de pondération d’un modèle d’optimisation multi-objectifs de la pêcherie utilisée comme cas d’étude. La comparaison des résultats du modèle obtenus avec différents systèmes de pondérations permet de préciser les implications des  références manifestées par chaque groupe d’acteurs et leur comparaison avec l’état réel de la pêcherie donne une vue de l’importance relative de chaque groupe dans le processus de décision. Dans le cas d’étude présenté, il apparaît que les structures de préférences manifestées par les représentants de  l’administration et des organisations professionnelles de la pêche sont proches l’une de l’autre et exercent  une influence plus significative que celle des experts scientifiques sur la politique d’aménagement de la  pêcherie.This paper presents the methodology and results of a research project dedicated to the objectives of the  Common Fisheries Policy. Stakeholders’ preferences concerning fisheries management objectives are  elicited with the help of a multicriteria decision analysis method, and are used as inputs in a multi-objective  optimisation model of the fishery under survey. Running the model with various preference systems helps  to assess the consequences of various stakeholders’ preferences on the state of the fishery. As regards the case under survey, the results of stakeholders’ preference elicitation and modelling suggest that public  authorities and representatives of the fishing industry share rather similar views on the objectives of  fisheries management, and influence the actual state of the fishery more significantly than scientists  involved in fisheries management

Eco-Innovation as a Factor in Enhancing Firm Performance: Empirical Evidence from Tunisia

This study aims to investigate the impact of eco-innovation on environmental performance, economic performance, as well as the reputation of firms. Based on the theoretical and empirical literature on eco-innovation, we develop our research hypotheses and our conceptual model and then we test them in the Tunisian context. To do this, we conducted a survey of 159 industrial firms in Tunisia, divided into three groups as follows: a first group formed by 25 non-innovative firms, the second group includes 73 technologically innovative firms and a third group with 61 eco-innovative firms. We applied a principal component analysis and a multiple regression to the 61 companies having already achieved eco-innovations. The results show that eco-innovation has a significant impact on the environmental performance and reputation of companies. However, it does not directly improve economic performance

Micro-economic Efficiencies and Macro-economic Inefficiencies: Theoretical Reflections on Renewable Resource Policies in Very Poor Countries

Economists in developed countries having specific institutional and macroeconomic conditions have been the major contributors to fisheries economics theory and policy. Whereas the theory and the policies may be appropriate in certain circumstances for developing countries, it is not necessarily true that the two major recommendations of fisheries theory, capacity control and rent extraction and concentration, are desirable policies in poor and disorganized countries. We use a standard Keynesian macro-model, coupled with some simple assumptions from fisheries economics to show that leakage outside the country and subsequent economic growth slowdown might be incited by policies that encourage industrial concentration of rents, especially if there is subsequent capital flight. In these cases, policies which promote employment in parts of the fisheries sector that are tied more closely to the local economy may have a proportionally large positive impact on the growth of the economy.Keywords : macroeconomics, developing countries, rent dissipation, growth, fisheries

A Fish Discarding Model Including Sorting Behaviour

This paper proposes a formal analysis of the discarding issue including the sorting labour costs. Empirical evidences from an application to the Nephrops fishery in the Bay of Biscay show that sorting is an important time consuming activity on board and a factor of discarding. However existing literature does not explicitly take into account the sorting activity and mainly focus on quota and catch constraints. The discarding model described in the paper includes sorting as a factor explaining discards. The costs of sorting landings and the time to sort them are included in the approach. The model is developed for one species studied at a tow scale with the assumption that catches are exogenous. It is shown that taking sorting costs into account, discarding of one species may occur and that time or effort constraints can induce an over incentive to discard