Behavioral response of fishers to hypoxia and the distributional impact on harvest

Marine hypoxia adversely affects parts of numerous waterbodies around the world. The effects extend to marine organisms. The objective of this paper is twofold. First, we present a theoretical model that can be used to analyze the spatial effects of hypoxia on harvest for any fishing industry. Second, we use temporally and spatially differentiated harvest data for Connecticut Long Island Sound lobster industry to estimate the contemporaneous and lagged effects of hypoxia on harvest across three adjacent fishing zones, only one of which faces moderate to severe hypoxic conditions each summer. The key insight from the theoretical model shows that hypoxia can affect the optimal harvest of both the hypoxic and non-hypoxic fishing zones, and that the impact outside the hypoxic zone will vary across species, depending on how the species responds. Results from the empirical model are consistent with the theoretical findings, i.e., the presence of hypoxic water conditions reduced harvest from both the hypoxic and non-hypoxic water zones during the period between 1995 and 2011.

Automated summary

Marine hypoxia adversely affects various waterbodies around the world, impacting marine organisms as well. In a study of the Connecticut Long Island Sound lobster industry, hypoxia was found to decrease harvest levels in both hypoxic and non-hypoxic zones between 1995 and 2011.