Thunberg
Eric M.
Thunberg
Eric M.
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PreprintEconomic impact of the 2005 red tide event on commercial shellfish fisheries in New England( 2007-10-04) Jin, Di ; Thunberg, Eric M. ; Hoagland, PorterOver the last several decades, harmful algal bloom (HAB) events have been observed in more locations than ever before throughout the United States. The 2005 bloom of Alexandrium fundyense was the most widespread and intense in New England waters since a similar event more than three decades ago. In this study, using historical data from the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, and other sources, we develop estimates of the direct economic impacts of the 2005 event on commercial shellfish fisheries in Maine and Massachusetts. Results of our regression analyses suggest that the 2005 event had broad spatial and temporal effects on the shellfish market. In response to a supply shortage resulting from local closures, there was an increase in shellfish imports to New England during the red tide. Further, shellfish closures in Maine were the most likely cause of observable price changes on the Fulton Fish Market in New York.
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PreprintDevelopment of an integrated economic and ecological framework for ecosystem-based fisheries management in New England( 2012-10) Jin, Di ; Hoagland, Porter ; Dalton, Tracey M. ; Thunberg, Eric M.We present an integrated economic-ecological framework designed to help assess the implementation of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) in New England. We develop the framework by linking a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of a coastal economy to an end-to-end (E2E) model of a marine food web for Georges Bank. We focus on the New England region using coastal county economic data for a restricted set of industry sectors and marine ecological data for three top level trophic feeding guilds: planktivores, benthivores, and piscivores. We undertake numerical simulations to model the welfare effects of changes in alternative combinations of yields from feeding guilds and alternative manifestations of biological productivity. We estimate the economic and distributional effects of these alternative simulations across a range of consumer income levels. This framework could be used to extend existing methodologies for assessing the impacts on human communities of groundfish stock rebuilding strategies, such as those expected through the implementation of the sector management program in the US northeast fishery. We discuss other possible applications of and modifications and limitations to the framework.
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PreprintAn analysis of fishing vessel accidents in fishing areas off the northeastern United States( 2005-02-17) Jin, Di ; Thunberg, Eric M.Commercial fishing is one of the least safe occupations. Fishing vessel accident probability and vessel trip probability for fishing areas off the northeastern United States were modeled using logit regression and daily data from 1981 to 2000. Fishing vessel accident probability declined over the study period. Higher wind speeds are associated with greater accident probability. Medium size vessels had the highest accident probability before 1994. Within the study region, accident probability was lower in Southern New England and Mid-Atlantic waters than on Georges Bank and in the Gulf of Maine. Accidents are more likely to occur closer to shore than offshore. Accident probability is lower in spring and fall. Changes in fishery management in 1994 have not lead to a general increase in either accident or vessel trip probability. Although higher economic payoff (i.e., revenue of landings) induces more vessels to go fishing, this is not associated with an increase in accidents. The probability models are important building blocks in development and quantitative assessment of management mechanisms related to safety in the commercial fishing industry.
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PreprintWaterfront land use change and marine resource conditions : the case of New Bedford and Fairhaven, Massachusetts( 2009-03) Portman, Michelle E. ; Jin, Di ; Thunberg, Eric M.A major challenge in gauging long-term and cumulative impacts of fisheries management on coastal fishing communities is the lack of understanding of the interactions between changes in fish stocks and waterfront land uses. This study examines these interactions in the New Bedford/Fairhaven area using parcel level data and geographic information system (GIS) tools. Logistic regression models were used to assess the impact of changes in marine resource abundance on waterfront land uses. Although land-use decisions are influenced by many complex market and regulatory factors, our study detected a significant relationship between fish stock conditions and coastal land uses.