5 ms·

We need to implement Pigovian taxes that is related to the number of fish. Ie taking up fish is not free it’s related to the amount of fish in the ocean. If the

• mhb 6y ago
  The implementing is where the problem lies.
  • rriepe 6y ago
    After much hand-wringing by bureaucrats, it would end up as a tax on fishing poles.
    • kls 6y ago
      The sad part is that is most likely how it would go down, in Florida we see the continual regulations on the recreational fisherman, why commercial allotments do not suffer an equal measure in reduction of catch allowance for that particular species. This is slowly starting to change as recreational sports fishing organizations have become more powerful in their lobbying efforts to share the burden across both commercial and recreational, but it is still fairly uneven handed with recreational bearing the brunt of restrictions, closures and taxation.
  • bobthepanda 6y ago
    Yeah, good luck getting governments to agree on consistent levels of taxation on something, when it's also some nations' primary protein source.
• IfOnlyYouKnew 6y ago
  The problem isn't so much coming up with a specific mechanism to limit fishing. Such a tax would work, as would outright quotas backed by criminal law. It's to agree and to implement any common strategy in a classic Prisoner's Dilemma, where it's beneficial for every single participant to break any agreement. Another difficulty is that the partners that would agree (governments) are not themselves fishing. Even with the best intentions, not all of them have the means to sufficiently police every operator of a fishing vessel. The silver lining is that it's an "iterative Prisoner's Dilemma". The "prisoner"'s decision isn't isolated from everything, because others will respond in the next round. The issue can also be combined with others, tying, for example, trade agreements to sufficient cooperation (c.f. Brexit). But the sheer number of participants alone makes it a slow slog. Just look at the problems OPEC has, even though that group is a lot smaller and the activity in question is far easier to control.
  • acd 6y ago
    Interesting comment. In single shot prisoners dilemma the best strategy for both players are too cooperate remain silent. In iterative prisoners dilemma the best strategy are Tit for tat strategy. The strategy should be nice not defect before opponent, Retaliating, forging and non envious. How do you make a tit for tat fishing strategy? Reference link to prisoners dilemma. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma
    • IfOnlyYouKnew 6y ago
      No, in single-shot PD betrayal is the dominant strategy, as your link shows. It's better if your opponent also betrays, and its better if they stay silent (the whistleblower scenario). See that wikipedia link if in doubt.
  • oehtXRwMkIs 6y ago
    I think the tragedy of the commons is a more appropriate analogy rather than the prisoner's dilemma.
    • IfOnlyYouKnew 6y ago
      "Although metaphorical, Hardin's tragedy of the commons may be viewed as an example of a multi-player generalization of the PD" (From the wikipedia link someone posted)
• GhostVII 6y ago
  You could also set a fish quota, and let people buy and sell their quota. Then the market sets the price, the government just has to decide how much fish is sustainable to take each year. Ontario has a similar system for emissions. Of course with fishing it all falls apart if there are multiple countries fishing in the same area without having a unified system.
• refurb 6y ago
  Sounds great. Who will collect the taxes from China when they tell you to pound sand?