An activity-based decision support system to evaluate the economic viability of fisheries management tools for the small pelagic species in the northern Adriatic Sea

The literature has not deeply explored—through an activity-based approach—the economic viability of fisheries at the fishing unit level by simultaneously modelling the monthly dynamic of the different landings of fishing units and the ex-vessel market prices. This research aims to partially fill this gap by developing an activity-based stochastic decision support system for the main small pelagic species—European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) and mackerel (Scomber spp.). This model is able to simulate the income effects from different fishery policies and the individual fisherman’s strategies. The overall results show that there is high variability in the economic impacts from the fisheries management tools, which primarily depend on: i) the adopted fishing method, ii) the monthly landings dynamics, iii) the relevant fixed costs and iv) the low ex-vessel market prices and their instability due to the weak bargaining power of the fishermen and the buyers’ and final consumers’ limited willingness to pay for small pelagic species. From a policy point of view, the uncertain profit for the fishing unit’s owner and the unstable crew wages suggest that any proposed management tool at this micro level should be carefully evaluated to complement the area-scale and the enterprise level evaluation.