Analysis of a predator-prey model for exploited fish populations with schooling behavior

In this paper, a predator-prey model for exploited fish populations is considered, where the prey and the predator both show schooling behavior. Due to this coordinated behavior, predator-prey interaction occurs only at the outer edge of the schools formed by the populations. Positivity and boundedness of the model are discussed. Analysis of the equilibria is presented. A criterion for Hopf bifurcation is obtained. The optimal harvest policy is also discussed using Pontryagin's maximum principle, where the effort is used as the control parameter. Numerical simulations are carried out to validate our analytical findings. Implications of our analytical and numerical findings are discussed critically.