Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/21
Outputs
Target Audience:My research over the past year targeted: Other resource economists and researchers NGOs and regulatory agencies, e.g., Maine Aquaculture Association and Maine Department of Marine Resources Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training activities: To strengthen the technical skills of the graduate students involved in the project, students were enrolled in GIS modeling and econometrics courses. These skills are important for both the success of the research as well as the success of these students in the job market. In addition to coursework, students received one-on-one mentoring through the applied research process, including attention on presenting scientific research to technical and non-technical audiences. Professional development: Students presented project research to stakeholders (e.g., meetings with the Maine Department of Marine Resources). Typically, these students would also present their research at regional (e.g., Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine meeting) and national (e.g., Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association Annual Meeting) meetings. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been shared through peer-reviewed publications and with key stakeholders (e.g., Maine Department of Marine Resources). Typically, this would also include presentations at national and international conferences; however, COVID-19 reduced these occurances. Typically, these students would also present their research at regional (e.g., Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine meeting) and national (e.g., Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association Annual Meeting) meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Mathematical models of cooperative fishing behavior and fisherman adaptation During this reporting period (Year 5 of the project), I continued to advance this research objective. This work included ongoing research on two projects: (1) fleet dynamics under catch share managed fisheries and (2) averting behavior by clam harvesters to reduce the financial impacts of temporary clam flat closures due to pollutants. We are revising a manuscript for the first project for resubmission at the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. Our findings suggest that efficiency gains from reversing the commons' tragedy in fisheries derive from harvest cost savings that can take years to materialize. Efficiency gains under catch share managed fisheries may be substantially larger than acknowledged in earlier literature, changing how we think about catch share management. The second project is in the final stages of development. My graduate student (Hannah Merriam, graduated M.S. in Resource Economics and Policy 2020) and I presented preliminary results to stakeholders in 2020. Preliminary results suggest that the adaptive strategies of clam harvesters help mitigate the financial loss from flat closures. Unfortunately, our efforts to complete this work were delayed due to COVID restrictions. Current efforts focus on ground-truthing model predictions with stakeholders (e.g., the Director of the Bureau of Public Health at the Maine Department of Marine Resources) and developing a manuscript. Objective 2: Mathematical/empirical models of the impacts of marine resource management Previous research [Evans et al. 2017a,b] produced inquiries into the effects of the continued development of marine aquaculture in the U.S.: Exploring the spatial variation of social acceptance for aquaculture; Identifying the mechanisms through which aquaculture impacts coastal users; and Exploring tradeoffs of shared coastal and marine spaces between recreation, energy production (e.g., wind and tidal), and marine seafood production (i.e., mariculture and wild-production). To this end, ongoing research with an M.S. graduate student (Nick Alvarez, graduated MS Economics 2021) explores the coastal development of marine aquaculture as a locally undesirable marine use. Preliminary results suggest that while coastal residents may be open to further aquaculture development, information campaigns highlighting the positive impacts of aquaculture on the local economy, environment, and wild-capture fisheries do not have universally pro-aquaculture effects. We are currently in the process of converting Nick's thesis work into a manuscript. Further, I engaged with stakeholders (i.e., Maine Department of Marine Resources, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and shellfishermen) to explore the impact of pollution closures (from pollution or biotoxins) on the soft-shell clam fishery. To date, this has generated one publication [Evans et al. 2016] evaluating the impact of these closures in one area of Downeast Maine (the municipalities of Machias and Machiasport). This work laid the groundwork for ongoing research measuring these closures' economic effects along Maine's coastline (and adaption strategies of clammers). I am currently completing a book chapter on the challenges, innovations, and opportunities for the Gulf of Maine soft-shell clam fisheries. Objective 3: Mathematical/empirical models of seafood safety. Previous research [Evans et al., 2020; Year 4 of the project] explored connections between behavior-specific risk perceptions and food-safety behavior in the home. Key findings suggest that policymakers may use targeted information campaigns aimed at influencing risk perceptions and optimism bias to improve food-handling practices. While Evans et al. (2020) focused on terrestrial-based food sources, it raised interesting questions about whether these patterns extend to marine-based sources (seafood from aquaculture and wild-capture fisheries). This project motivated new research exploring women's seafood consumption patterns before, during, and after pregnancy. One key question of this research is the efficacy of a targeted information campaign (information pamphlet provided to pregnant women) about safe/unsafe seafood consumption choices (e.g., switching from albacore to light tuna). As with other projects, COVID delayed progress; however, current efforts focus on completing the statistical analysis and the draft manuscript.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Evans, K.S., C. Lian and Q. Weninger. "Property Rights and the Efficient Extraction of Common Pool Resources: Evidence from West Coast Groundfish."
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Evans, K.S., B. Chezum, E.J. Plant, and C.J. Stone. "Middleman Reputation in a Two-Sided Market."
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Nicholas Alvarez, NIMBY: A Look Into Public Perceptions of Aquaculture
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Jay Kim, Yong Chen, and Keith Evans. "Connecting economic, social science, and interdisciplinary research and management advice"
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)
Annual Science Conference Copenhagen (virtual poster)
|
Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Target Audience My research over the past year targeted: Other resource economists and researchers Maine Aquaculture Association and Maine Department of Marine Resources Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training activities: To strengthen the technical skills of the graduate students involved in the project, students were enrolledin GIS modeling and econometrics courses. These skills are important for both the success of the research as well as thesuccess of these students in the job market. In addition to coursework, students received one-on-one mentoring through theapplied research process, including attention on presenting scientific research to technical and non-technical audiences.Professional development: Students presented project research to stakeholders (e.g., meetings with Maine Department of Marine Resources). Typically, these students would also present their research at state (e.g., Maine Economics Conference) and national (e.g., Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association Annual Meeting) meetings during the spring and summer. Unfortunately, COVID-19 prevented this from occurring. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been shared through peer-reviewed publications and with key stakeholders (e.g., Maine Department of Marine Resources). Typically, this would also include presentations at national and international conferences; however, COVID-19 prevented this from occurring. Typically, these students would also present their research at state (e.g., Maine Economics Conference) and national (e.g., Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association Annual Meeting) meetings during the spring and summer. Unfortunately, COVID-19 prevented this from occurring. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In Year 5of the project, I plan to continue the research, detailed above, exploring how Maine's seafood economy responds tochange. This research includes adaptation in the American lobster fishery to climate change.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Mathematical models of cooperative fishing behavior and fisherman adaptation During this reporting period (Year 4 of the project), I continued to advance this research objective. This work included ongoing research on two projects: (1) fleet dynamics under catch share managed fisheries, and (2) averting behavior by clam harvesters to reduce the financial impacts of temporary clam flat closures due to pollutants. A manuscript for the first project is under review at theJournal of Environmental Economics and Management. Our findings suggest that efficiency gains from reversing the commons' tragedy in fisheries derive mainly from harvest costs savings that can take years to materialize. Efficiency gains under catch share managed fisheries may be substantially larger than acknowledged in earlier literature, changing how we think about catch share management. The second project is in the final stages of development. My graduate student (Hannah Merriam, graduated M.S. Resource Economics and Policy 2020) and I presented preliminary results to stakeholders. Preliminary results suggest that the adaptive strategies of clam harvesters help mitigate the financial loss from flat closures. Current efforts focus on ground-truthing model predictions with stakeholders and developing a manuscript. Objective 2: Mathematical/empirical models of the impacts of marine resource management Previous research [Evans et al. 2017a,b] produced inquiries into the effects of the continued development of marine aquaculture in the U.S.: exploring the spatial variation of social acceptance for aquaculture identifying the mechanisms through which aquaculture impacts coastal users exploring tradeoffs of shared marine space between recreation, energy production (e.g., wind and tidal), and marine seafood production (i.e., mariculture and wild-production) To this end, ongoing research with M.S. graduate student (Nick Alvarez, MS Economics student) explores the coastal development of marine aquaculture as a locally undesirable marine use. In addition, these questions motivated the research contained in two recent publications: (1) a study exploring support for aquaculture policy among U.S. residents (published inMarine Policy), and (2) a paper presenting a GIS modeling tool for marine aquaculture site selection (published inJournal of Marine Science and Engineering). Key findings from the first study suggest that aquaculture's perceived benefits and the credibility of information sources influence residents' support. However, U.S. residents have minimal objective and subjective knowledge of aquaculture. Aquaculture's perceived risks may be misplaced due to these low levels of knowledge, impeding coastal aquaculture development. Further, I engaged with stakeholders (i.e., Maine Department of Marine Resources, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and shellfishermen) to explore the impact of environmental closures (from pollution or biotoxins) on the soft-shell clam fishery. To date, this has generated one publication [Evans et al. 2016] evaluating the impact of these closures in one area of Downeast Maine (the municipalities of Machias and Machiasport). This work laid the groundwork for ongoing research measuring these closures' economic effects along Maine's coastline (and adaption strategies of clammers - described above). Current efforts focus on converting this research into a manuscript. Finally, collaborations with colleagues in marine sciences produced a publication (inBiological Conservation) exploring the dynamic socioeconomic costs of implementing marine conservation areas. Key findings suggest that conventional practices underestimate the opportunity cost -- potentially misleading policymakers. The study equips practitioners with a dynamic perspective to choose the "best" conservation strategy. Objective 3: Mathematical/empirical models of seafood safety During this reporting period (Year 4 of the project), we completed research exploring connections between behavior-specific risk perceptions and food-safety behavior in the home, i.e., handwashing, avoiding cross-contamination, and proper refrigeration of cooked foods (built on data from multiple years of the US FDA Food Safety Survey). Key findings suggest that targeted information campaigns aimed at influencing risk perceptions and optimism bias may be used to improve food-handling practices. Given the lack of regulatory options to affect behavior in the home, this may provide a useful tool to address issues such as overconfidence in consumers' self-efficacy in performing safe food handling. The manuscript is published atFood Policy. While this project focused on terrestrial-based food sources, it raises interesting questions about whether these patterns extend to marine-based sources (seafood from aquaculture and wild-capture fisheries). Further, this project motivated new research exploring women's seafood consumption patterns before, during, and after pregnancy. One key question of this research is the efficacy of a targeted information campaign (information pamphlet provided to pregnant women) about safe/unsafe seafood consumption choices (e.g., switching from albacore to light tuna). Current efforts focus on model design.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Evans, K.S., M.F. Teisl, A.M. Lando, and S.T. Liu. (2020) "Risk Perceptions and Food Handling Practices in the Home." Food Policy.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Li, Y., M. Sun, K.S. Evans, Y. Ren, and Y. Chen (2020) "Rethinking Marine Conservation Strategies to Minimize Socio-Economic Costs in a Dynamic Perspective." Biological Conservation. 244.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Rickard, L., K. Britwum, C.L. Noblet, and K.S. Evans. (2020) "Factory-made or Farm Fresh? Measuring Support for Aquaculture Policy Among U.S. Residents." Marine Policy. 115.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Beard, K., M. Kimble, J. Yuan, K.S. Evans, W. Liu, D. Brady, and S. Moore. (2020) "A Method for Heterogenous Spatio-Temporal Data Integration in Support of Marine Aquaculture Site Selection." Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 8:96.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Evans, K.S., C. Lian and Q. Weninger. "Property Rights and the Efficient Extraction of Common Pool Resources: Evidence from West Coast Groundfish."
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Evans, K.S., B. Chezum, E.J. Plant, and C.J. Stone. "Middleman Reputation in a Two-Sided Market."
|
Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19
Outputs
Target Audience:My research over the past year targeted: • Other resource economists and researchers • Maine Aquaculture Association and Maine Department of Marine Resources Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training activities: To strengthen the technical skills of the graduate students involved in the project, students were enrolled in GIS modeling and econometrics courses. These skills are important for both the success of the research as well as the success of these students in the job market. In addition to coursework, students received one-on-one mentoring through the applied research process, including attention on presenting scientific research to technical and non-technical audiences. Professional development: Students presented project research at state (e.g., Maine Economics Conference) andnational (e.g., Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association Annual Meeting). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been shared through peer-reviewed publications, at diverse conferences, and with key stakeholders. I (along with my graduate students) disseminated results of multiple studies to academic audiences at national (Northeastern Association of Environmental and Resource Economists Conference) and and state (Maine Economics Conference) conferences. I (along with my graduate students) haveengaged with key stakeholders (Maine resource managers and professionals) at state conferences (Maine Water and Sustainability Conference). These interactions with Maine resource managers (Maine Department of Marine Resources; Marine Department of Environmental Protection) have facilitated new research questions and grant proposals. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In Year 4 of the project, I plan to continue the research, detailed above, exploring how Maine's seafood economy responds to change. This research includes new research projects exploring regional versus local factors on the first-price of soft-shell clams and adaptation in theAmerican lobster fishery to climate change.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Coastal and marine resources constitute a significant component of Maine's economy. Recreation, tourism, and commercial fisheries contribute tens of billions of dollars to the state's GDP. The value of the goods and services generated from the state's coastal waters (e.g., commercial fishing, aquaculture, tourism, recreation activities, and ecosystem services) depends on the quality of these natural resources and thereby management actions. These resources also play a critical role, economically and culturally, to numerous rural coastal communities. Resource-dependent communities often lack alternative sources of income, leaving them vulnerable to Maine's changing marine environment and resource management decisions. Policies affecting access to, or the quality of, these resources can engender broad socio-economic impacts in these communities. Understanding the relationship between management actions and resource outcomes (e.g., spatial-distribution of fishery outcomes) is necessary to bolster the resilience of rural, resource-dependent coastal communities and maintain an essential stream of income for the state. The proposed research explores three dimensions of resource management and its linkage to outcomes in coastal communities: the management of fisheries, the conflicts involved with aquaculture production in shared coastal waters, and consumer preferences for seafood. This research can help resource managers make informed decisions - filling knowledge gaps on preferences and human behavior in the marine environment. Objective 1: Mathematical models of cooperative fishing behavior and fisherman adaptation During this reporting period (Year 3 of the project), I continued to work toward this research objective. This work included ongoing research on two projects: (1) fleet dynamics under catch share managed fisheries, and (2) averting behavior by clam harvesters to reduce the financial impacts of temporary clam flat closures due to pollutants. A manuscript for the first project is under review at theJournal of Economic Behavior and Organization. Results from this project were presented during invited talks at New England universities (i.e., the University of Rhode Island and the University of Connecticut). The second project is in the final stages of model development. My graduate student and I presented preliminary results at regional (e.g., Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association annual meeting) and state conferences (e.g., Maine Economics Conference). Current efforts focus on ground-truthing model predictions with stakeholders. Objective 2: Mathematical/empirical models of the impacts of marine resource management Previous research [Evans et al. 2017] produced inquiries into the effects of the continued development of marine aquaculture in the US: exploring the spatial variation of social acceptance for aquaculture; identifying the mechanisms through which aquaculture impacts coastal users; and exploring tradeoffs of shared marine space between recreation, energy production (e.g., wind and tidal), and marine seafood production (i.e., mariculture and wild-production). To this end, several projects with M.S. students are ongoing: (1) exploring heterogeneity of preferences for proximity to coastal aquaculture; (2) investigating the visual impact of marine shellfish aquaculture on coastal homes in Maine; (3) measuring welfare changes in three coastal regions of Maine from large-scale development of aquaculture in their coastal waters; and investigating preferences of Maine coastal homeowners for coastal development (e.g., aquaculture versus commercial fishing). Students have completed and defended their theses work. Graduate students presented their work at regional (e.g., Northeast Aquaculture Conference and Exposition biennial meeting) and state conferences (e.g., Maine Sustainability and Water Conference). Current efforts focus on converting this research into publishable manuscripts. Further, I engaged with stakeholders (Maine Department of Marine Resources, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and shellfishermen) to explore the impact of environmental closures (from pollution or biotoxins) on the soft-shell clam fishery. To date, this has generated one publication [Evans et al. 2016] evaluating the impact of these closures in one area of Downeast Maine (the municipalities of Machias and Machiasport). This work laid the groundwork for ongoing research measuring the economic effects of these closures along Maine's coastline (and adaption strategies of clammers - described above). This work is in the final stages of model development. My graduate student and I presented preliminary results at regional (e.g., Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association annual meeting) and state conferences (e.g., Maine Economics Conference). Current efforts focus on ground-truthing model predictions with stakeholders. Objective 3: Mathematical/empirical models of seafood safety During this reporting period (Year 3 of the project), we completed research exploring connections between behavior-specific risk perceptions and food-safety behavior in the home, i.e., handwashing, avoiding cross-contamination, and proper refrigeration of cooked foods (built on data from multiple years of the US FDA Food Safety Survey). Key findings suggest that targeted information campaigns aimed at influencing risk perceptions may be used to improve food-handling practices. Given the lack of regulatory options to affect behavior in the home, this may provide a useful tool to address issues such as overconfidence in consumers' self-efficacy in performing safe food handling. The manuscript is under review atFood Policy. While this project focused on terrestrial-based food sources, it raises interesting questions about whether these patterns extend to marine-based sources (seafood from aquaculture and wild-capture fisheries).
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Rickard, L., K. Britwum, C.L. Noblet, and K.S. Evans ⿿Frankenfish or Farm Fresh? Measuring Support for Aquaculture Policy Among U.S. Residents.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Evans, K.S., C. Lian, and Q. Weninger. ⿿Rights-Based Management and Efficiency in Common Pool Resources.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Yu, Y., M. Sun, K.S. Evans, Y. Ren, and Y. Chen. ⿿Rethinking Marine Conservation Strategies to Minimize Socio-Economics Costs in a Dynamic Perspective.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Evans, K.S., M.F. Teisl, A.M. Lando, and S.T. Liu. ⿿Risk Perceptions and Food Handling Practices in the Home.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Evans, K.S., Q. Weninger and C. Lian ⿿Economic effects of IFQ management: The West Coast groundfish trawl fishery. Invited talk at University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI., November 2018
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Evans, K.S., Q. Weninger and C. Lian ⿿Economic effects of IFQ management: The West Coast groundfish trawl fishery. Invited talk at University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT., November 2018
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Evans, K.S. and H.E. Merriam ⿿Averting Behavior in the Soft-Shell Clam Fishery Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association (NAREA) Meeting, Portsmouth, NH. June 10, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Evans, K.S., C.L. Noblet, and O. Bredikhina ⿿Citizens⿿ Preferences for Coastal Usage Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association (NAREA) Meeting, Portsmouth, NH. June 10, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Merriam, H.E. and K.S. Evans ⿿The Cost of Protecting Shellfish-Consumer Health: Environmental Closures in the Soft-Shell Clam Fishery Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association (NAREA) Meeting, Portsmouth, NH. June 10, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Evans, K.S., M.F. Teisl, H. Engelbert, E. Frohmberg, and A.E. Smith ⿿Does Informing Pregnant Women About the Benefits and Risks of Eating Fish Alter Consumption? Maine Economics Conference, Lewiston, ME. April 28, 2019.
|
Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:My research over the past year targeted: Other resource economists and researchers Maine Aquaculture Association and Maine Department of Marine Resources Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training activities: To strengthen the technical skills of the graduate students involved in the project, students were enrolled in GIS modeling and econometrics courses. These skills are important for both the success of the research as well as the success of these students in the job market. In addition to coursework, students received one-on-one mentoring through the applied research process, including attention on presenting scientific research to technical and non-technical audiences. Professional development: Students presented project research at state (e.g., Maine Economics Conference), national (e.g., Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association Annual Meeting), and international (e.g., International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade Bi-Annual Meeting) conferences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been shared through peer-reviewed publications, at diverse conferences, and with key stakeholders. I (along with my graduate students) disseminated results of multiple studies to academic audiences at international (International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade Bi-Annual Meeting; Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Annual Meeting), regional (Northeastern Association of Environmental and Resource Economists Conference; Maine Water and Sustainability Conference), and state (Maine Economics Conference) conferences. I (along with my graduate students) have engaged with key stakeholders (Maine resource managers and professionals) at state conferences (Maine Water and Sustainability Conference). These interactions with Maine resource managers (Maine Department of Marine Resources; Marine Department of Environmental Protection) have facilitated new research questions and grant proposals. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Coastal and marine resource constitute a significant component of Maine's economy. Recreation, tourism, and commercial fisheries contribute tens of billions of dollars to the state's GDP. The value of the goods and services generated from the state's coastal waters (e.g., commercial fishing, aquaculture, tourism, recreation activities, and ecosystem services) depends on the quality of these natural resources and thereby management actions. These resources also play a critical role, economically and culturally, to numerous rural, coastal communities. Resource-dependent communities often lack alternate sources of income leaving them vulnerable to Maine's changing marine environment and resource management decisions. Policies affecting access to, or the quality of, these resources can engender broad socio-economic impacts in these communities. Understanding the relationship between management actions and resource outcomes (e.g., spatial-distribution of fishery outcomes) is necessary to bolster the resilience of rural, resource-dependent coastal communities and maintain an essential stream of income for the state. The proposed research explores three dimensions of resource management and its linkage to outcomes in coastal communities: the management of fisheries, the conflicts involved with aquaculture production in shared coastal waters, and consumer preferences for seafood. This research can help resource managers make informed decisions - filling knowledge gaps on preferences and human behavior in the marine environment. Objective 1: Mathematical models of cooperative fishing behavior and fisherman adaptation During this reporting period (Year 2 of the project), I continued work toward this research objective. This included ongoing research on two projects: (1) fleet dynamics under catch share managed fisheries, and (2) the impact of lying and profit-sharing on information sharing and effort coordination among commercial fishers. Some preliminary results were presented by graduate students at state conferences (e.g., Maine Economics Conference). I also began a new research project, which emerged from conversations with the Public Health Bureau at the Maine Department of Marine Resources. This work investigates averting behavior by clam harvesters to reduce the personal impacts of temporary clam flat closures due to unsafe environmental conditions. Special attention is given to the various causes for these environmental closures (e.g., coastal flooding, combined sewer overflows, and harmful algal blooms), some of which may be consistently anticipated by harvesters. This work is still in its early stages. Panel data on harvester behavior has been collected and cleaned. Current efforts focus on preparing and ground truthing historical spatial-temporal data on clam flat closures. Objective 2: Mathematical/empirical models of the impacts of marine resource management Previous research [Evans et al. 2017] produced inquiries into the impacts of the continued development of marine aquaculture in the US: exploring the spatial variation of social acceptance for aquaculture; identifying the mechanisms through which aquaculture impacts coastal users; and exploring tradeoffs of shared marine space between recreation, energy production (e.g., wind and tidal), and marine seafood production (i.e., mariculture and wild-production). To this end, several projects with M.S. students are ongoing: (1) exploring heterogeneity of preferences for proximity to coastal aquaculture; (2) investigating the visual impact of marine shellfish aquaculture on coastal homes in Maine; (3) measuring welfare changes in three coastal regions of Maine from large-scale development of aquaculture in their coastal waters; and investigating preferences of Maine coastal homeowners for coastal development (e.g., aquaculture versus commercial fishing). Further, I engaged with stakeholders (Maine Department of Marine Resources, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and shellfishermen) to explore the impact of environmental closures (from pollution or biotoxins) on the soft-shell clam fishery. To date, this has generated one publication [Evans et al. 2016] evaluating the impact of these closures in one area of Downeast Maine (the municipalities of Machias and Machiasport). This work laid the groundwork for ongoing research measuring the economic effects of these closures along Maine's coastline (and adaption strategies of clammers - described above). In Year 2, I collected fine-scale historical trip data (trip-level data for all of Maine) from the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Current efforts focus on preparing and ground truthing historical spatial-temporal data on clam flat closures. Objective 3: Mathematical/empirical models of seafood safety During this reporting period (Year 2 of the project), we completed research exploring connections between behavior-specific risk perceptions and food-safety behavior in the home, i.e., handwashing, avoiding cross-contamination, and proper refrigeration of cooked foods (built on data from multiple years of the US FDA Food Safety Survey). Key findings suggest that targeted information campaigns aimed at influencing risk perceptions may be used to improve food-handling practices. Given the lack of regulatory options to affect behavior in the home, this may provide a useful tool to address issues such as over-confidence in consumers' self-efficacy in performing safe food handling. The manuscript is complete and will be submitted for publication pending US FDA approval. While this project focused on terrestrial-based food sources, it raises interesting questions about whether these patterns extend to marine-based sources (seafood from aquaculture and wild-capture fisheries). Additional research led to the publication of a manuscript, based on an M.S. thesis, investigating consumer preferences for seafood product attributes (aquacultured or wild-capture; certification as organic or sustainably harvested; and origin). This work utilized an online choice experiment of U.S. seafood consumers. Key findings from this work suggest that seafood consumers prefer wild-capture labeled seafood products (relative to aquaculture-labeled) and are willing to pay a premium for these products. Related ongoing research highlighted the heterogeneity of these preferences across respondents. Preliminary results from this work were presented at a regional meeting last summer (NAREA Meeting). Finally, this work has spawned two ongoing projects: (1) seafood-consumer choice experiments investigating the effect of survey elicitation mode (i.e., online versus in-person) on preferences for aquaculture-labeled products, and (2) online choice experiment of US seafood consumers exploring preference heterogeneity for seafood product labels (i.e., aquaculture versus wild-capture) and response to positive information about the economic contribution of aquaculture in the US.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Brayden, C., C.L. Noblet, K.S. Evans, and L. Rickard. (2018) ⿿Consumer Preferences for Seafood Attributes of Wild Harvested and Farm-Raised Products. Aquaculture Economics and Management. 22(3): 342-361.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Evans, K.S., Q. Weninger and C. Lian ⿿Economic effects of IFQ management: the West Coast groundfish trawl fishery. Invited talk at University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI. November 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Evans, K.S., Q. Weninger and C. Lian ⿿Economic effects of IFQ management: the West Coast groundfish trawl fishery. Invited talk at University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. November 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Evans, K.S., Q. Weninger, and C. Lian. ⿿Economic Efficiency in the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Fishery: 2009-16, Pre- to IFQ Management. International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade (IIFET). Seattle, WA. July 20, 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Evans, K.S. and C.L. Noblet ⿿Preference Heterogeneity for Shellfish Product Labels. Northeast Agricultural and Resource Economics Association (NAREA) Annual Meeting. Philadelphia PA. June 11, 2018.
|
Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:My research over the past year targeted: Other resource economists and researchers Maine Aquaculture Association; Maine Department of Marine Resources; and Maine Department of Environmental Protection Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been shared through peer-reviewed publications, at diverse conferences, and with key stakeholders. I (along with my graduate students) disseminated results of multiple studies to academic audiences at national (Association of Environmental and Resource Economists Summer Meeting; Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Annual Meeting), regional (Northeastern Association of Environmental and Resource Economists Conference; Maine Water and Sustainability Conference), and state (Maine Economics Conference) conferences. I (along with my graduate students) have engaged with key stakeholders (Maine resource managers and professionals) at state conferences (Maine Water and Sustainability Conference). These interactions with Maine resource managers (Maine Department of Marine Resources; Marine Department of Environmental Protection) have facilitated new research questions and grant proposals. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Mathematical models of cooperative fishing behavior and fisherman adaptation During this reporting period (Year 1 of the project), I began preliminary work toward this research objective. This included baseline research on two projects: (1) fleet dynamics under catch shared managed fisheries, and (2) the impact of lying and profit-sharing on information sharing and effort coordination among commercial fishers. Some preliminary results were presented by graduate students at state conferences (Maine Economics Conference). Objective 2: Mathematical/empirical models of the impacts of marine resource management My graduate student completed her M.S. thesis which provided a spatial analysis of the impacts of aquaculture on coastal housing prices. Key findings from this work suggest modest effects on residential property values in Maine, with significant spatial variation across study areas (Casco Bay, Penobscot Bay, and the Damariscotta River). This spatial variation represents a challenge for managers and highlights the potential benefits from coordinating the development of marine aquaculture to balance resource users' objectives with industry growth. We have published one manuscript based on this M.S. thesis work and are in progress of preparing a second manuscript. This work has produced subsequent inquiries into the impacts of the continued development of marine aquaculture in the US: exploring the spatial variation of social acceptance for aquaculture; identifying the mechanisms through which aquaculture impacts coastal users; and exploring tradeoffs of shared marine space between recreation, energy production (e.g., wind and tidal), and marine seafood production (i.e., mariculture and wild-production). Additional research led to the publication of a manuscript on public acceptance of coastal zone management efforts. This work utilized a survey of Maine and New Hampshire households, eliciting responses to a hypothetical coastal water quality referendum in which respondents were allowed to allocate the budget across predefined categories. Key findings from this work suggest that citizens that voted 'no' on the referendum have different preferences for allocating water quality funds and that providing cues to voters (e.g., the effects of coastal water quality on either public health or the marine environment) influenced allocation behavior. These results can assist coastal planners in thinking about the language used to communicate coastal water quality issues, particularly budget referenda. Finally, I have been engaging with stakeholders (Maine Department of Marine Resources, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and shellfishermen) to explore the behavior and adaptation strategies of clammers to environmental closures (from pollution or biotoxins) of harvest areas. To date, this has generated one publication evaluating the impact of these closures in one area of Downeast Maine (the municipalities of Machias and Machiasport). This research found that over the nine-year sample period (2001-2009), temporary pollution closures contributed to an estimated loss of $3.6 million in forgone revenue (2014 dollars), approximately 27.4% of total revenue. Closures linked to combined sewer overflows from the Machias wastewater system produced the majority of these losses ($2.0 million) with the largest occurring during the peak clamming season (May-August). These results highlight the variability of the impacts of closures and the information burden for efficient management of shellfish areas and coastal waters. This work laid the groundwork for ongoing research. Since this publication, fine-scale harvest data (trip-level data across all of Washington County, Maine) were collected from the Maine Department of Marine Resources. In addition, graduate student research, as part of her M.S. thesis, is collecting qualitative data through in-person interviews on clammer adaption strategies. This information is invaluable for ground truthing and validating mathematical and statistical models of behavior. Objective 3: Mathematical/empirical models of seafood safety During this reporting period (Year 1 of the project), one paper was published on the influence of trust and attitudes on the purchase decision of organic food. Interestingly, this work suggests that general trust and trust in media as a source of information about organic food can be strong influencers of purchase behavior. Marketing through media may be an effective tool on a sub-population (approximately 55% of our sample). I also continued to make progress on economics research of risk perceptions and food-handling behavior (built on data from multiple years of the US FDA Food Safety Survey). I presented some preliminary results from this work at a National conference (Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Annual Meeting) last summer. While these two projects have focused on terrestrial-based food sources, they raise interesting questions about whether these patterns extend to marine-based sources (seafood from aquaculture and wild-capture fisheries). We submitted a paper, based on an M.S thesis, investigating consumer preferences for seafood product attributes (aquacultured or wild-capture; certification as organic or sustainably harvested; and origin) which has received positive feedback and guidance to revise the manuscript for publication. Finally, graduate student thesis work moved forward exploring risk perceptions of marine illness from recreating at beaches closed due to poor water quality or consuming shellfish from flats under environmental closures. We are preparing a manuscript based on this thesis work for submission during the next reporting period (Year 2 of the project).
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Evans, Keith S., Xuan Chen, and Christina Robichaud. (2017) "A Hedonic Analysis of the Impact of Marine Aquaculture." Agricultural and Resource Economics Review.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Evans, Keith S., Caroline L. Noblet, Emma Fox, Kathleen P. Bell, and Abigail Kaminski. (2017) "Public Acceptance of Coastal Zone Management Efforts: The Role of Citizen Preferences in the Allocation of Funds." Agricultural and Resource Economics Review.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Herrera, Guillermo, Keith S. Evans, and Lynne Y. Lewis. (2017) "Aligning Economics and Ecological Priorities: Conflicts, Complementarities, and Regulatory Frictions." Agricultural and Resource Economics Review.
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