Measuring changes in multi-factor productivity in U.S. catch share fisheries

By ending the “race to fish” catch share programs may be expected to lead to improved productivity at the fishery level by retiring redundant capital and by allowing fishing firms to become more technically efficient in their harvesting activities by, among other things, changing the composition of inputs and outputs. Yet, there have been relatively few empirical studies of productivity changes in catch share fisheries and no comprehensive treatment of a cross-section of programs using a common measure of productivity change. In this study estimates of multi-factor productivity change for 20 catch share fisheries in the U.S. using a Lowe index are provided. With few exceptions, productivity increased relative to baseline conditions during the first three years of catch share program implementation. For five of six of the most established catch share programs, these initial productivity gains have been maintained or have continued to improve.