Catch Efficiency in the Chilean Pelagic Fishery: Does size matter ?

This paper examines the determinants of technical efficiency for a sample of 204 industrial vessels operating in the Southern-Central pelagic fishery of Chile during the 1985-95 period. Data on vessel's annual landings and fishing effort, vessel's size, age, fishing experience and vessel's controlling firm are analysed considering a Translog stochastic frontier model à-la Battese-Coelli (1995), which includes a vessel-specific inefficiency model. Yearly averages for vessel efficiency vary from 50% to 86%. Close to 90% of the residuals' total variance is accounted by the inefficiency term, suggesting a significant disparity in vessels' catch performance. Vessel age and scale of operation are found to be significant in explaining efficiency. Larger vessels tend to be the most efficient and the ones showing least variance in their efficiency. Smaller vessels, which on average are also the oldest in the fleet, show greater dispersion and lower efficiency scores. We confirm prior results suggesting vessel-level economies of scale at this fishery, related to fishing effort intensity. Explanatory variables aggregated at the ship-owner level, which aim at controlling the firm's operating scale, are also significant as a whole when explaining vessel-level efficiency. We find positive search externalities associated to the number of vessels under control of a given firm, as well as external diseconomies related to each firm's fleet use. Overall, we report significant productive heterogeneity in the fleet under study where control variables associated to 'size effects' do indeed play a significant role.

Downward Adjustments in a Cyclical Environment: The Case of Chilean Pelagic Fisheries

Often the scale of production of many industrial fisheries in the world shows rigidity vis à vis declines in fish abundance, which on occasions has generated fishing collapse. This paper studies the two fisheries with the greatest volume of landings in Chile, and which are also characterized by strong variability in their abundance. Production-side aspects that affect the incentives to adjust towards lower fishing efforts are analyzed. To do so, production functions for industrial fleets at each fishery are estimated by resorting to panel data. Two main results are obtained. First, we confirm the empirical relevance of Translog harvest technologies. This contradicts a frequent practice in bioeconomic models, which considers harvest-inputs elasticities as being constant and independent from the scale of production. Second, a set of production-side effects are identified that weaken the incentives to adjust towards lower fishing efforts: increasing returns in the use of variable inputs, which are also strengthened by external economies associated to the aggregate searching effort for fish, and catch yields sensitive to changes in abundance, but where the strength of this effect decreases as abundance declines.

WHO CAN FISH WHAT AND WHERE: CHILE'S TRADEOFFS IN HIGH SEAS FISHING OF STRADDLING STOCKS

Chile has not yet ratified the U.N. 1995 Agreement on straddling/ highly migratory fish stocks. This paper discusses key economic issues at stake from the viewpoint of a coastal state with important stakes in a straddling stock. The Chilean jack mackerel stock, one of Chile's most important fish resources, is in this category. This stock is currently caught on adjacent high-seas only by a Chilean-flag fleet, and currently there is no evidence of imminent competition from distant water fishing nations (DWFNs). We argue that ratification of the Agreement could imply negative effects on: (i) coastal states' sovereignty upon management measures within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and (ii) national fishing companies' competitiveness. Despite this, the net cost/benefit balance depends on how binding the threat of DWFNs' fishing competition is expected to be. If the Agreement does go into force, coastal states with important stakes in straddling fish stocks will feel increased pressure to ratify as well. For the case of states that become parties to the Agreement, we discuss pending obstacles for achieving effective fishery management in the adjacent high-seas. We speculate about possible solutions to the 'New Member' and 'Interloper' problems. Regarding the former, enforceable closed access would seem to be legally feasible under the Agreement. In terms of effective enforcement against fishing by illegal interlopers, innovation in enforcement tools would be needed. In some cases, the latter may require further adjustments to the Law of the Sea Convention.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Eficiencia Técnica y Escalas de Operación en Pesca Pelágica: Un Análisis de Fronteras Estocásticas

This paper examines estimations of technical catch efficiency for a sample of 204 industrial vessels operating at the pelagic grounds of Southern-Central Chile during the 1985-95 period. We consider a Translog stochastic frontier model à-la Battese-CoelliStochastic production frontiers, technical efficiency, panel estimation, chilean pelagic fischeries

El Dilema de la Escala Productiva frente a Ciclos de Abundancia: La Pesca Industrial en Chile

A menudo la escala productiva de diversas pesquerías en el mundo muestra escasa flexibilidad frente a caídas en la abundancia de la pesca, lo que en ocasiones ha generado situaciones de colapso pesquero. Aquí estudiamos las dos pesquerías con mayor volumen de desembarques en Chile y que se caracterizan por enfrentar variabilidad en su abundancia. Analizamos aspectos productivos que afectan los incentivos para ajustar a la baja el esfuerzo pesquero. Para ello estimamos funciones de captura para las flotas industriales que operan en cada pesquería usando datos de panel. Los resultados plantean dos áreas de conclusión. Primero, evidencia que avala la relevancia empírica de tecnologías de captura Translog. Esto contradice una práctica habitual en modelos bioeconómicos, cual es considerar elasticidades captura-insumos constantes e independientes de la escala de producción. Segundo, identificamos un conjunto de efectos productivos que debilitan los incentivos para ajustar a la baja el esfuerzo pesquero: economías de escala en el uso de insumos variables, economías externas asociadas al esfuerzo agregado de búsqueda de cardúmenes, y rendimientos de pesca sensibles a cambios en la abundancia, pero donde la fuerza de este efecto disminuye al caer la abundancia.

EFICIENCIA TÉCNICA Y ESCALAS DE OPERACIÓN EN PESCA PELÁGICA: UN ANÁLISIS DE FRONTERAS ESTOCÁSTICAS (Pesquería Centro-Sur en Chile)

Este trabajo presenta estimaciones de eficiencia técnica en labores de pesca de la flota industrial en la pesquería pelágica Centro-Sur de Chile (regiones V a la X), con datos para 204 barcos a lo largo de 11 años (1985-95). Usamos un enfoque de fronteras estocásticas, según un modelo de estimación a la Battese-Coelli (1995). Los resultados de estimación rechazan la validez de la función Cobb-Douglas, a favor de una tipo Translog. La antigüedad y escala de operación (horas anuales de pesca) de cada barco obtienen significancia estadística al explicar las eficiencias estimadas al nivel de cada barco. Variables agregadas al nivel de empresa controladora, buscando controlar por efectos asociados a la escala de operación de cada empresa, también logran significancia estadística al explicar las eficiencias estimadas para cada barco. Un mayor número de barcos bajo control de una misma empresa induciría economías externas de búsqueda. No obstante, aumentos en la intensidad de uso de la flota total bajo control de una misma empresa generarían deseconomías externas al nivel de cada barco. Resultados con similares signos, aunque menos robustos, se obtienen para estas variables cuando son agregadas para la flota industrial en su conjunto. Nuestras estimaciones avalan la existencia de heterogeneidad productiva en esta flota industrial, en términos de diferencias no triviales en los rendimientos de pesca logrados por barcos de distinto tamaño y capacidad de desplazamiento. Los barcos más grandes obtienen en promedio los mayores niveles de eficiencia, y a la vez muestran la menor dispersión en las eficiencias estimadas para barcos en una misma categoría de tamaño.

Downward Adjustments in a Cyclical Environment: The Case of Chilean Pelagic Fisheries

This paper offers an empirical analysis of harvest functions for the two main Chilean pelagic fisheries, which are characterized by cyclical fish abundance. Two main results are obtained. First, we identify production-side effects that weaken the incentives to adjust towards lower fishing efforts: (i) increasing returns in the use of variable inputs are observed, which are strengthened by external economies associated to aggregate search effort for fish; and (ii) catch yields sensitive to changes in abundance, but where the strength of this effect decreases as abundance declines. Second, we confirm the empirical relevance of Translog harvest technologies. This contradicts a frequent practice in bio-economic models, i.e. considering harvest-input elasticities as being constant and independent from the scale of production.Chilean pelagic fisheries; harvest functions; panel estimation; fishing cycles.

The prevalence and pattern of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy among women with breast cancer receiving care in a large community oncology practice

Purpose To describe the prevalence, severity, and risk factors of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and its impact on function and quality of life (QOL) among women treated for breast cancer in a large U.S. Community Oncology practice. Methods Women previously treated with taxane-based chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer completed the EORTC QLQ–C30, QLQ–BR23, and QLQ–CIPN20. Subscales are scored 0–100; higher scores indicate greater symptom severity. Pre-specified hypotheses were tested. Results 126 women with mean age 56.7 years (SD 11.8) were stage I–II (79.4%) or stage III (20.6%) at the time of the survey; 65.1% were White and 27.8% were Black or African American. The mean time since last taxane chemotherapy cycle was 144.9 weeks (SD 112.9). 73.0% reported having CIPN. QLQ–CIPN20 mean scores for the sensory, motor, and autonomic subscales were 18.9 (SD 23.1), 18.6 (SD 18.7), and 17.1 (SD 21.8), respectively. CIPN symptom severity was negatively correlated with global health status/QOL and physical and role functioning (range of r = -0.46 to -0.72). It was not associated with age, body mass index, diabetes, or cumulative taxane dosage, but was greater for Black or African American women (e.g., sensory, p<0.002). CIPN sensory impairment was marginally greater for patients treated with paclitaxel compared to docetaxel (p<0.064). Conclusions CIPN was prevalent in this community oncology practice and significantly impacts function and QOL. These data highlight the importance of developing methods to mitigate CIPN, and for screening for CIPN particularly among Black or African American women

Economies of Scale and Stock-Dependence in Pelagic Harvesting: The Case of Northern Chile

Pelagic species are one of the fish stocks which are most vulnerable to unrestrained fishing. Their initial abundance has been a source for substantial profits in the past, with several fishing collapses resulting from it. This paper analyses the case of(Chilean) pelagic fisheries, harvesting functions, economies of scale, panel estimation, cobb-douglas and translog production functions