New Markets for Fish 



Extended jurisdiction will undoubtedly 

 open new markets for species now caught as 

 well as markets for species not caught by U.S. 

 fishermen at present. It is reasonable to 

 assume that the response to these economic 

 opportunities will be highly varied. Some of 

 the factors influencing acceptance or rejection 

 of these opportunities are similar to those 

 affecting technical innovation. In addition, the 

 responsiveness of fishermen to new markets 

 depends on their ability and willingness to 

 catch new species and to process them in ways 

 that make them saleable. Two questions are 

 paramount: 



1) Under what conditions will fishermen 

 exploit new species and markets? 



2) How many fishermen will exploit a set of 

 species under a given set of conditions? 



Studying the conditions under which 

 fishermen will exploit new species is 

 simplified by the fact that fishermen now 

 often exploit many different species over the 

 course of the year. At present, it appears that 

 price is one of the primary factors influencing 

 the decision of fishermen to catch various 

 species. That is, they choose the species which 

 will give them the highest revenues relative to 

 costs. If this is generally true, then a change in 

 the economic climate, especially changes in 

 ex-vessel prices, would be one of the key fac- 

 tors influencing the responsiveness of fisher- 

 men to exploit new species. In addition to the 

 prices which might be paid for new species, 

 stock assessments and projections of yields 

 from new species are needed in order to deter- 

 mine if the stocks can sustain a market. 



In addition, some social information may be 

 needed to determine the preferences fisher- 

 men will have for entering some markets and 

 avoiding others. Their unwillingness to accept 

 certain innovations may limit their ability to 

 enter some markets. This may be true in spite 

 of changes in prices. 



98 



In order to study the social, cultural, and 

 economic factors influencing the decision of 

 fishermen to enter certain markets at present, 

 two kinds of studies are needed: 



1) Data needs to be gathered comparing 

 fishing practices of boats which exploit a 

 wide range of species over the annual cy- 

 cle with practices of those that do not. 

 Emphasis should be placed on such fac- 

 tors as the prices paid for fish, the catch 

 of various species, the locations where 

 fish are caught, etc. Interviews should be 

 obtained with fishermen concerning 

 their decision to enter a given market 

 (i.e., exploit a given species requiring cer- 

 tain handling and processing pro- 

 cedures), and the social and cultural fac- 

 tors inhibiting them from entering 

 others. 



2) A set of questionnaires might be ad- 

 ministered to a carefully selected sample 

 of fishermen to obtain data on their 

 preferences concerning entry and exit 

 from particular fisheries. 



3) Information needs to be gathered to iden- 

 tify factors which affect the price paid for 

 fish at the docks, the stability or flex- 

 ibility of that price, and how the price 

 affects the fisherman's willingness to 

 direct his efforts toward certain species. 

 This information should be supple- 

 mented by identification of ways in 

 which prices could be stabilized or other- 

 wise manipulated by Government or in- 

 dustry in order to encourage fishing ac- 

 tivity. 



This kind of information is of particular im- 

 portance for fisheries managers. A knowledge 

 of the factors affecting entry and exit into 

 different markets would allow managers to 

 draw up management plans influencing ex- 

 vessel prices paid (e.g., taxes and subsidy) and 

 to manipulate the relative fishing pressure on 

 various species. 



