PhD Student Emmi Nieminen will defend her thesis "Bioeconomic and game theoretic applications of optimal Baltic Sea fisheries management - Towards a holistic approach" on Friday 17th March at 12:00 in Room 302, Athena building, Siltavuorenpenger 3 A, Helsinki, Finland
Supervisors
- Dr. Marko Lindroos, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Dr. Lone Grønbæk, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
- Dr. Outi Heikinheimo, Natural Resources Institute, Finland
Opponent
- Prof. Jon Olaf Olaussen, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
Custos
- Prof. Markku Ollikainen, University of Helsinki, Finland
Abstract
This thesis examines the optimal economic management of the Baltic Sea fisheries and contributes to the existing literature with its novel bioeconomic and game theoretic applications enhancing more holistic fisheries management than traditionally, and thus taking a step towards ecosystem-based management. Such management can be interpreted as integrated management of the ecosystem instead of concentrating on a single issue in isolation.
This approach is fulfilled in four separate dimensions: Firstly, the thesis studies the optimal management of several species instead of focusing on only one species. Secondly, the focus is not only on management in a single country; instead, the thesis has a wider scope and analyse the prospects of cooperation among several countries. Thirdly, the problems are modelled by taking into account the long-term perspective, i.e., by maximising the resource rent over a long time period and by analysing the possible effects of climate change. Fourthly, this thesis applies a cross-sectoral approach and examines several sectors affecting the ecosystem (fisheries and energy sectors) instead of only focusing on one.
This thesis highlights the importance of linking economics to biology and its significance to fisheries management. In fact, fisheries management based on society’s profit maximising bioeconomic objectives with biologic constraints are often more conservative for a fish stock than management relying solely on biologic advice. The increased profitability of the fisheries industry could furthermore be improved by international coordination among fishing nations. The positive effects of bioeconomic management would be even greater when the fish stocks are weak, which may be the future in the Baltic Sea with the continuing effects of climate change.
Additionally, this thesis takes into consideration the positive value of migratory fish for the recreational river anglers. When those values are included, it is often profitable from the society's point of view to enable the upstream migration even in regulated rivers producing hydropower. The optimal measures targeted to enhance the migration depend on the number of the dams in the river: the more dams, the more profitable to trap and transport fish over the dam instead of constructing fishways.
link to University of Helsinki's information page on this event: here