Abstract:

The economics of small-scale commercial fishing on Niue Island is appraised through estimation of a production function for catch and effort. The analysis is base on data from fishing trip log sheets of an alia catamaran. As expected, effort has a significant effect on catch, although a given change in effort produces less than a proportional sector perspective, increased fishing effort may be profitable as effort seems to be underutilized on an average month of fishing on the alia catamaran. Provided that all of the fish caught are sold, increased mechanism for the distribution of wealth throughout the island community. Social obligation for the distribution of fish may render commercial fishing uneconomic. However, given the local demand for fresh fish, it is feasible for Niuean fishers to earn a good income through fishing.

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Date 1992/12/01

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