Richard F. Kazmierczak

FACTORS INFLUENCING TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION IN A LOUISIANA AQUACULTURE SYSTEM

A multinomial logit model was estimated and used to analyze the impact of various producer characteristics on the adoption of flow-through and recirculating technology in soft-shelled crab production. Because of the industrys geographic isolation and high turnover rate, data was collected by personal interviews in 1991. The results suggest that increased adoption might be fostered by targeting education programs towards full time, family operated businesses in nontraditional production regions. However, development of effective education programs may be hindered by the lack of a significant relationship between producer adoption decisions and the information provided by university or extension personnel.

Developing Consensus Indicators of Sustainability for Southeastern United States Aquaculture

Many diverse, conflicting stakeholders groups are activeley engaged in an increasingly volatile debate over the proper definition and application of sustainability in aquaculture. Attempts to find common-ground on general sustainability goals and parameters have not yet been successful. This study illustrates the potential of utilizing a Delphi approach to identify and refine consensus indicators of sustainability along three separate disciplinary axes; environmental, economic, and sociological. In fact, nonparametric statistical analysis of sustainability categories and indicators indicated a high level of consensus among and between diverse stakeholder groups after the Delphi process.

An Analysis of US Oyster Demand and the Influence of Labeling Requirements

Abstract In response to concerns about the morbidity rate associated with the consumption of raw Gulf of Mexico oysters, California initiated a program in March 1991 that required anyone selling raw Gulf oysters to notify potential consumers that the “consumption of raw oysters can cause serious illness and death among people with liver disease, chronic illness, or weakened immune systems.” This labeling requirement, followed shortly thereafter by similar requirements in other states, received extensive media coverage. The primary objective of this study was to consider, within the context of a complete demand system, the impact of mandatory warning labels and associated media attention on the demand for the product subject to regulation and media attention (i.e., Gulf product) as well as substitute products. Results indicate that warning labels lowered the demand for oysters originating from the Gulf and Chesapeake and increased demand for oysters originating from the Pacific and foreign sources. Results also indicate that the own-price flexibilities from all sources are inelastic and, with few exceptions, all products are gross substitutes for one another. JEL Classification Code: Q18, Q58

Management Ability and the Economics of Recirculating Aquaculture Production Systems

A bioeconomic model of fish growth in recirculating aquaculture systems was constructed by developing a bioenergetic model comprised of metabolic sub-models for growth, ammonia production, and oxygen consumption. Metabolite accumulations are determined by exogenous control variables for filtration and aeration and used to indirectly represent management ability. Numerical solutions to model parameters were obtained using a two point boundary shooting algorithm within a dynamic profit maximization framework. Optimal trajectory, isoquant, and bioeconomic optimization analyses describe specific tradeoff relationships existing between nutrition, density, and technology. Results demonstrate the economic importance of these relationships changes over time in response to fish weight, and not always in ways suggested by the physical importance of individual factors. Specifically, economically viable tradeoffs between dietary protein and stocking density occur over relatively narrow regions of management ability. Without highly experienced and capable management, the biological realities of recirculating systems may preclude profitable system operation.

Location Choice Behavior of Gulf of Mexico Shrimpers under Dynamic Economic Conditions

This study uses a mixed logit model to analyze monetary and nonmonetary factors that influence location choice behavior of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico shrimpers. Shrimpers’ responses to economic conditions are compared and contrasted for two periods related to changing economic conditions in the industry. Results show that even though shrimpers are generally revenue driven in choosing a fishing site, their past experience also plays an important role. Further, changes in economic conditions appear to exhibit an influence on the risk attitudes of some shrimpers.

The Role of Bounties and Human Behavior on Louisiana Nutria Harvests

In response to nutria-linked degradation of much of its coastal wetlands, Louisiana established the Coastwide Nutria Control Program (CNCP) in January 2002. CNCP instituted, among other things, an ‘‘economic incentive payment’’ of

The Effect of Environmental Conditions and Regulatory Costs on Oyster Relaying in Louisiana

4.00 per delivered nutria tail from registered participants in the program. To examine whether this bounty has had an impact on nutria harvest and whether alternative bounty levels can, in general, generate additional harvesting activities, we developed a bioeconomic supply model that relates Louisiana’s annual nutria harvests to a suite of economic and environmental factors. Results suggested that the annual nutria harvest is responsive to both the price received per animal and costs. Results also suggested that the nutria harvest has increased as a result of the bounty, but that the initial bounty of

Optimizing Complex Bioeconomic Simulations Using an Efficient Search Heuristic

4.00 per tail may be insufficient to achieve the state’s goal of harvesting 400,000 animals per year but that a bounty equal to

Buyback Programs for Capacity Reduction in the U.S. Atlantic Shark Fishery

5.00 per tail would likely achieve the stated goal.

Assessing the Impact of Price and Yield Risk in the Southern U.S. Catfish Industry

The transferring of preharvest oysters from restricted to approved harvest waters, a process called relaying, is one way oystermen may avoid degraded environmental conditions and increase the net return from their leases. In recent years, however, Louisiana oystermen have shown little interest in relaying. The demand for relaying permits in Louisiana, the nations leading producer of direct market oysters, was estimated using a Poisson regression model that incorporated economic factors, environmental conditions, and a discrete measure of regulatory costs. Harvest prices, input and regulatory costs, environmental indicators, and the productivity of public and private (leased) water bottoms all significantly influenced the number of permits demanded. At the margin, output prices, environmental indicators, and regulation-induced costs had the most significant impact on permit demand. In particular, the cost of regulatory compliance appears to be a major factor behind the unwillingness of Louisiana oystermen to employ relaying in their harvest activities.