Suppose the government attempts to compare two potential strategies to reduce fishing effort in a nearby fishery. The figure below shows the total benefit curve (TB) and total cost curve (TC) of the fishery - S/Unit TB TCtax TClicense
TC
Fishing Effort (Unit)
Strategy #1: Per-unit tax on fishing effort. The tax is represented as a rotation of the total cost curve (i.e., marginal cost of fishing effort increases). The green line TCtax represents the total cost with per-unit tax.
Strategy #2: Regulate fishing practices through fishing license requirements. The increase in costs due to the license fee is represented as a parallel upward shift of the total cost curve (i.e., marginal cost of fishing effort does not change). The red line, TClicense, represents the total cost with fishing licenses.
Assume that exclusivity can be exercised in this fishery. What is the effect of a per-unit tax on fishing effort? What is the effect of fishing licenses on fishing effort? Please label the fishing efforts under these two strategies in the figure and briefly explain how you found the effort level: (6 points)
Now assume that the fishery is open access (i.e., no exclusivity). What is the effect of a per-unit tax on fishing effort? What is the effect of fishing licenses on fishing effort? Please label the fishing efforts under these two strategies in the figure and briefly explain how you found the effort level: (6 points)
Which strategy would you prefer? Please explain: (2 points)