Simulating the effect of regulatory systems in a fishery - An application to the French driftnet albacore fleet

With a thin economic component, most bio-economic models of fisheries fail to assess the effects of the regulation systems on firms. In order to analyse the short term consequences of different management schemes, a simulation model is applied to the French driftnet albacore fleet: licence allocation with driftnet regulation, individual quotas, and individual transferable quotas without any input control. Vessel technology is estimated by using the data collected, and groups of vessels are distinguished according to criteria of performance. We present the adjustment within firms and between groups under different scenarios (limited entry with and without driftnet regulation, individual quotas and individual transferable quotas allocation), and we compare their results in terms of quasi-rent value and other indicators such as hake harvests or dolphin by-catches