ISER hosts an informal presentation on the dynamic of permit transfers in Alaska salmon fisheries - May 6, 2010

Thursday, May 6, Noon-1 p.m.
4500 Diplomacy Drive, 5th floor conference room

UAA's Institute of Social and Economic Research offers informal presentations as a way for ISER researchers and others from the public and private sectors to talk about topics of interest.

On Thursday, May 6, from noon to 1 p.m., Gunnar Knapp, professor of economics, will discuss the "Dynamics of Permit Transfers in Alaska Salmon Fisheries."

Fisheries management systems based on transferable permits or quotas have been adopted in numerous fisheries worldwide. Over time, transfers of those permit or quotas can change where permit or quota holders live -- which in turn can have important economic and social consequences for communities and regions. Where permit and quota holders live can affect where fish are landed and processed, where vessels are home-ported, where fishing income is spent and where fishing crew are hired. It can also affect the extent to which communities are -- and see themselves as -- fishing communities.

But there has been relatively little theoretical or empirical analysis of inter-regional transfers of fishing permits or quotas: why they occur and how they affect the regional distribution of permit and quota holders over time. Gunnar Knapp has examined this topic for Alaska's limited entry salmon fisheries. More than three decades of data allowed him to do a detailed analysis of permit transfers and the regional distribution of permit holders.

His analysis suggests that as fisheries become more profitable, the relative economic advantages of living close to the fisheries decline -- in turn increasing the share of non-local buyers willing to pay the market price for permits and reducing the long-run equilibrium share of permits held by local residents. That shift leads to a conflict between two important policy goals: increasing fishery profitability and maintaining local participation in fisheries -- particularly in rural regions where alternative economic opportunities are limited.

Dr. Knapp has studied Alaska's salmon fisheries for more than 20 years. Please come to ISER and learn about his research on the dynamics of permit transfers.

The Diplomacy Building is at 4500 Diplomacy Drive, at the corner of Tudor Road and Tudor Centre Drive. Parking is free. Call (907) 786-7710 if you need directions.