ASSESSMENT OF BIOECONOMIC AND MANAGEMENT ASPECTS OF TUNA FISHERY RESOURCE IN PAKISTAN

The ongoing open-access regime in Pakistan raises a big question regarding the management and economic performance of commercially important fishery resources in Pakistan, such as tuna nei. This study appraises the management and economic aspects of tuna nei fishery through catch statistics (1995-2009) and survey data. The Gordon-Schaefer model was used to estimate levels of harvests and their corresponding efforts for three exploitation levels: maximum economic yield (MEY), maximum sustainable yield (MSY), and open-access yield (OAE). At MSY, the harvest, effort, and revenue were H_MSY = 10,299 MT, E_MSY = 1,382, and ∏_MSY = 40.325 billion PKR; at MEY, they were H_MEY = 10,267 MT, E_MEY = 1,305, and ∏_MEY = 40.468 billion PKR; and at OAE, harvest and effort were H_OAY = 2,181 MT and E_OAY = 2,610, respectively. Results find that effort is high for all exploitation levels and needs to reduce. Since tuna nei is biologically overfished, decrease in effort will result in not only larger catches but also more revenue. Revenue generated at MEY compared with MSY is significantly higher, which can be achieved by lowering effort. Thus, it is prerequisite to formulate and enforce fishery policies that simultaneously control effort, conserve tuna nei fishery, and increase revenue.