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The Management of Fishery in Venice Lagoon

By Luca Rossetto

ABSTRACT

Recently, Mediterranean lagoon environment, mainly in the North Adriatic area, has been threatened by the overexploitation of fishery. Fishing has been rapidly growing since clam (Tapes phippinarum) culture has spread over several lagoons. Fishing growth has been accomplished by capital intensive fish farming increasing fishing capacity beyond the sustainable biological growth. This pattern is driven by myopic behaviour and common property fisheries with free entry or open access. Institutional arrangements on fish resources may encourage a fishing farming matching the biological capacity.

In this study a bioeconomic dynamic model is used to describe the optimal resource allocation in case of private and open access resource. This model has been applied to a specific fishery, namely Gô (Zosterisessor ophiocephalus), living inside the lagoon of Venice.

The model shows that biological overfishing and stock depletion have been occurred because property rights on lagoon area are not well defined. Some factors affecting bioeconomic equilibrium such as prices, interest rate and fishing effort are set by market and cannot be easily managed. Arrangements on property rights of lagoon area or limiting fishery using catch quotas may lead to stock rehabilitation and highly productive fisheries. These tools should be necessarily supported by adequate trade policies.

KEYWORDS: bioeconomic dinamic models, fishery


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