Fisheries and Uncertainty: A Precautionary Approach to Resource Management

Richard G. Kuhn is an associate professor of geography at the University
of Guelph.

This book is a compilation of papers presented in 1994 at the annual
meeting of the Canadian Economics Association. The nine chapters focus
on various aspects of fisheries management from the perspective of
economics and applied mathematics. For some readers, this approach may
have limited appeal. However, most of the chapters are accessible to
readers who are already familiar with the Canadian fishing industry. The
foreword by Gordon Munro admirably sets the stage in its review of the
events that led to the crisis in the Atlantic fisheries. Subsequent
chapters examine policy issues, jurisdictional conflicts, the use of
quota, limited entry and buyback programs, predator–prey
relationships, and stock-rebuilding strategies. For the most part, the
writing style is clear.

Fisheries closures in Atlantic Canada and elsewhere in the world have
prompted urgent demands for a new approach to renewable-resources
management. The kind of approach advocated in this volume is a
broad-based one in which economics plays a limited role in final
decision-making. Maintaining the sustainability of the fish stocks must
take into account the myriad social, technological, ecological, and
environmental factors that make up fisheries management. This book
provides a useful starting point for future research and inquiry.