Abstract

The objective of this paper is to analyse the biological and economic implications of different management and funding regimes (private, public, collective) of the moored fishing aggregating devices (FADs). To consider this issue, a simple model of the commercial exploitation of a pelagic resource in a given area is developed to illustrate the potential effects of fishermen congestion around FADs and the biological interactions between the devices. Sensitivity analysis on the control variables of the model - the number of fishing unit and the number of FADs in the fishery – provide results on the level of profit and rent for the individual fisherman and for the total fleet. It illustrates the risk of rent dissipation in the case of mismanagement of the FADs as well as overcapacity in the fleet. Empirical evidence from a selection of fisheries in Martinique and Guadeloupe is used to discuss the assumptions and the results of the model

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