Journal of Mathematics and Computer

Applications Research (JMCAR)

ISSN(P): 2250-2408; ISSN(E): Applied
Vol. 3, Issue 1, Dec 2016, 1-14
TJPRC Pvt. Ltd.

MATHEMATICAL BIO ECONOMICS OF FISH HARVESTING WITH

CRITICAL DEPENSATION IN LAKE TANA
GETACHEW ABIYE SALILEW
Madda Walabu Universty, Department of Mathematics, Bale Robe, Ethiopia
ABSTRACT
Fishing management in Lake Tana, Ethiopia is the main concern of this paper. To study the fishing activities
and fishing management in Lake Tana we have considered ordinary differential equations which represent the dynamics
of fishing activities. We classify this model into mathematical biology and mathematical bio-economics model. In the
mathematical biology stream we have study the stability analysis of the equilibrium points with the behavior of their
respective solutions. In the mathematical bio-economics stream we investigate the efforts for maximum sustainable yield
(MSY), open access yield (OAY) and the maximum economic yield (MEY). These efforts are calculated based on the real
data collected from the stake holders around Lake Tana. We investigate that if we consider the critical depensation
model we found that there is overfishing if all efforts are less than the thresh hold value

kg of fish.

The same results found in the analysis of economic models that overfishing exists in the critical depensation model.

Received: Aug 27, 2016; Accepted: Sep 13, 2016; Published: Sep 21, 2016; Paper Id.: JMCARDEC20161

1. INTRODUCTION

Original Article

KEYWORDS: Mathematical Bio- Economics, MSY, OAY, MEY, Overfishing, Catch Per Unit Effort

Environmental resources are described as renewable and non-renewable. If they are renewable, they have
a capacity for reproduction and growth otherwise not. Renewable resources include population of biological
organisms such as fisheries and forests which have a natural capacity for growth. There is one similarity between
renewable and non-renewable resources that both are capable of being fully exhausted: that is they become to zero
if excessive and prolonged harvesting or extraction activity is carried out. In the absence of regulation control over
harvesting behavior, the resource stocks are subject to open access.
Mathematical bio economics is the study of the management of renewable resources. It takes into
consideration not only economic questions like revenue, cost, price, effort etc., but also the impact of this demand
on the resource. The aim of fish harvesting management is to gain a sustainable development of activity so that,
future generation can also benefit from the resources. It is observed in many countries that, fish populations are
becoming increasingly limited and caches are declining due to overexploitation [1]. Overfishing and waste of
resource rent in fisheries are caused by free and open access to the resource exploitation [5]. During the course of
time high levels of fishing effort cause a serious reduction in the size of the fish stock and consequently the rate of
catch per unit of effort is reduced [3]. Biological overfishing occurs when fishing mortality has reached a level
where the stock biomass has negative marginal growth or slowing down biomass growth. Economic or
bio-economic overfishing additionally considers the cost of fishing and defines overfishing as a situation of
negative marginal growth of resource rent.

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Getachew Abiye Salilew

The object of the management is to devise harvesting strategies that will not drive species to extinction. Therefore,
the notion of persistence, extinction times of the populations and precautionary harvesting policy, is always critical. A
control variable of every fishery management is the fishing effort [2, 4], which is defined as a measure of the intensity of
fishing operations. As fishery management is the balance between harvesting and its ecological implications, it is important
to fish in such a way that a species is sustainable and not in danger of becoming extinct. In this paper we considercritical
depensation (strong Alee effect) deterministic models with a constant harvest rate as well as time dependent harvesting in
the case of Lake Tana, Amara region, Ethiopia which is experienced by open access fishery.The dynamic mathematical
models set on the background of biology and economics knowledge. The integration of these seemingly different subjects
namely mathematics, biology and economics creates the source of interesting results and give valuable applications for the
peoples living with fishing activities and those policy makers who involved control of overfishing.This study tries to show
whether or not overfishing indeed exists.

2. MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY OF CRITICAL DEPENSATION MODEL

In order to investigate the economics of a renewable resource, it is first necessary to describe the pattern of
biological growth of the resource. First we consider the growth function for a population of some species of fish which by
convention is called a fishery. The deterministic models of fishery populations can be classified into three types namely
Compensation, Depensation and Critical depensation. Compensation growth is a growth type where population declination
is compensated by increased growth rate and has equation of the form

[1 ( / )]. Depensation

(week Alee effect) growth is the opposite case to composition growth model and has equation of the
form

[1 ( / )]. In both of these models ( ) denotes the population size at time ,

rate,

is the carrying capacity and

is the intrinsic growth

1 is any real number. The critical depensation model (strong Alee effect) is the

generalized logistic model which is extremely in opposite of the depensation model. By the work done [6] some
populations experience reduced rates of survival and reproduction when reduced to very low densities. This reduced
per capita growth rate at low densities is called depensation. The strong Depensation is called critical depensation.
Mathematical biology expression of the critical depensation is given by growth model as,
(

/ )=(

)[1 ( / )][( /

Here in the growth model (1),

ecological carrying capacity,

(1)

) 1]
( ) represents fish biomass,

is the critical mass quantity and (

represents intrinsic growth rate of fish,

is

/ ) growth rate of the fish without harvest. In case of

critical depensation model (1) the following observations can be made.

The growth rate of fish population is negative as long as the population size of fish lies below the critical mass
quantity

and above the carrying capacity .

The growth rate of fish population is positive when the population size of fish lies on( , ).

The per capita growth rate, [(

Both

Rate of growth of fish population increases with increasing ( ) over some range of population size[0, ].

The critical depensation model (1) has three equilibria points = 0 ,

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and

/ )/ ], is always a positive quantity.

are positive quantities such that 0 <

< .

and

= . The equilibrium point

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Mathematical Bio Economics of Fish Harvesting with Critical Depensation in Lake Tana

is unstable and the remaining two equilibria points

= 0 and

If the initial population size is assumed to start with some value above
the carrying capacity

are asymptotically stable.

then the population will grow and reach

over time otherwise it will die out over time.

Solution of the Critical Depensation Model

The solution of critical depensation model (1) with initial condition
techniques of separable variables the model (1) can be rewritten as [
both sides we get[1/ ( )(

)]

= ( /

(0) =

/ ( )(

is obtained as follows. Using

)] = ( /

and integrating

) . The integrand on the left hand side can be simplified using

partial fraction decomposition method. Let[1/ ( )(

)]. Here ,

)] = [ / ] + [ /( )] + [ /(

and

are unknown constants and they determine as follows. After simplification and comparison of the coefficients we
obtain = [1/
integrals

)] and

= [1/ (

+ [1/ (

]
)

],

we

)] ( )

get[1/

)] and thus the integral equation takes the form[1/

= [1/ (

+ [1/

[1/ (

)] (

] .

= [ /

)] ln( ) + [1/ (

)] ln (

On

evaluating

)=[ /

the

] + ((

. Applying antilogarithmic function we got the implicit solution which can be expressed as

) ln
(

( )

(2)

For model (1) the result (2) is the required general implicit solutions of the critical depensation model.
Substituting the initial condition (0) =
( / )(

) [(

)/(

at (0) =

the general solution (1) is:

)] [( )/(

)]

)(

(3)

The result (3) is the required particular implicit solution of the critical depensation model (1)

Figure 1: Growth Curve of Critical Depensation Model for

= . ,

= . ,

In the figure 1 we have shown the rate change curve of the critical depensation model for some particular values
of the parameters as shown. The curve is plotted for the population size function ( ) versus the population rate change
function
interval(
( ,

=(
,

/ ). Clearly the rate change of population is negative in the interval (0,

) and it is positive in the

). The rate change of population increases up from 0 to maximum and then falls down to 0 in the interval

). The maximum rate change of population,

( ), occurs when the population size be ( ) = ( /3) and the

corresponding maximum rate change of population is given by

( ) = {( /3) [1 (1/3 ) ][(1/3 )

0 where the parameter

is defined as

=(

+ )+

1]} >

. The following graph represents the stock

level of the critical depensation model

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Getachew Abiye Salilew

Figure 2: Typical Solution Curve for Critical Depensation Model for = . ,

= . ,

= .

In figure 2 we have time series plot for critical depensation model which verifying local stability of the three
equilibrium point in model (1). (i) The equilibrium point

is unstable; (ii) The equilibrium points

are stable since all the solution curves that start with any initial value around 0 and
= 0 and

= 0 and

are running towards and approaching

respectively as t tends to infinity.

3. MATHEMATICAL BIO-ECONOMICS OF CRITICAL DEPENSATION MODEL

Exploitation of biological resources and the harvest of population species are commonly practiced in fisheries,
forestry and wild life management. With the natural positive population growth the population size can be brought down
whenever harvesting is introduced. As long as the population size is maintained above
growing and reaches the carrying capacity
<

( )

. Where

population size is brought below

the population size continues

then harvested population quantity satisfies the following inequality:

( ) be the present population size and

be the critical mass quantity. If the

due to harvesting then the population size naturally decreases and dies down

eventually. That is, the population size continues decreasing and reaches extinction whenever the harvested population
quantity satisfies the following inequality:

>

( )

. Schaefer catch equation is a bilinear short-term

harvest function and it assumes that effort always removes a constant proportion of the stock. The Critical Depensation
Mathematical Bio-Economics model is given by
growth function of fish and ( , ) =
(

/ )=(

= ( ) ( , ) where

)[1 ( / )][( / ) 1] is the

is the harvest function of fish. And thus we do have

)[1 ( / )][( /

(4)

) 1]

Here in the model (4), ( ) represents fish biomass,

carrying capacity,

( )=(

is the critical mass quantity,

represents intrinsic growth rate of fish,

is time, (

is ecological

/ ) is growth rate of the fish with harvest

function ( , ).
3.1 Equilibrium Points of Bio-Economics of Critical Depensation Model
The equilibrium points of model (4) are obtained by making(
= 0. Then we get the cube equation [ /
has trivial equilibrium point

]x + [r(

+ )/

]x

)=0

[1 ( / )][( /

) 1]

= 0. This implies that the model

= 0 or the non-trivial bio-economic equilibrium points are the roots of x (

+ )x +

(1 + ( / ) ) = 0 which are
= (1/2) (

+ )+ (

+ ) 4

(1 + ( / ) )

= (1/2) (

+ ) (

+ ) 4

(1 + ( / ) )

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(5)
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Mathematical Bio Economics of Fish Harvesting with Critical Depensation in Lake Tana

Provided that (

(1 + ( / ) ) .

+ ) >4

The stability analysis of the equilibrium points is obtained by identifying the algebraic sign of the first derivative
of the function at each equilibrium points. That is let (
implies

( ) = ( /
)(

(2 /

+( /

) = (3 /

, this implies that

2
( (

(2 /
+2

)(

+ )

+ )/2

] (

)(

+ )

+ ) 4

is in (5). Thus

+ )/2

] (

) where

( +
and

( ) = (3 /

is in (5). Thus

is unstable when(

+2
(

(1 + ( / ) ).

Similarly

, this implies that

)=

is

)[ (

)/2

) . So that its firstderivative is

)<

+2

and

[1 ( / )][( / ) 1]
)

) < 0 which implies that the trivial equilibrium point

+ (2 /

) where

( +

)<

where = ( (

( +

is stable when (

)+[ (

)/2

+ )

)(

). Since (0) = ( +

+ ) ( +

stable. We have also

)= ( )=

+2
unstable

)>

= 0 is
)=

where

) = (3 /

when

is stable when
(

+2

)>

(1 + ( / ) ).

+ ) 4

3.2Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) of the Critical Depensation Model

Schaefer catch equation is a bilinear short-term harvest function and it assumes that effort always removes a
constant proportion of the stock.
(6)

( , )=
Where

=catch measured in terms of biomass;

fishing effort and

is a constant catchability of coefficient.

And substituting the non-trivial bio-economic equilibrium points of (5) in (6) gives the harvesting function as a function of
effort . Let

( , )=

( ) and (

, )=

( ) then we got

( )=(

/2) (

+ )+ (

+ ) 4

(1 + (

/ ))

(7)

( )=(

/2) (

+ ) (

+ ) 4

(1 + (

/ ))

(8)

The effort at the maximum sustainable yield denoted by

respect to the effort

is obtained by making the first derivative of

with

equal to zero. That is

[(

+ )+ (

+ ) 4

1+

]+

[(

+ ) (

+ ) 4

1+

] =0

(9)

] =0

(10)

/ ))

/ ))

From equation (9) we do have the following

= ( /9

where =

= ( /9

) +

>0

= ( /9

<0

. Then we have

And therefore we have

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Getachew Abiye Salilew

= ( /9

And thus the corresponding Maximum Sustainable Yield in (7) to be

(

)=(

= ( /18
Where

= +

/2) (

+ )+ (

+ )+ (

+ ) 4
/

+ ) 4

(1 + (

[1 + (1/9

/ ))

) ]

From equation (10) we do have the following

)

= ( /9

. Then we have

= ( /9

) +

>0

= ( /9

<0

And therefore we have

=

= ( /9

And thus the corresponding Maximum Sustainable Yield in (8) to be

=

)=(

= ( /18

/2) (

+ ) (

+ ) (

+ ) 4

+ ) 4

(1 + (

(1 + (1/9

/ ))

) )

3.3 The Open Access Yield (OAY) for the Critical Depensation Model
A work done in [7] shows that economic models of0020fishery are underlined by biological models and it is
impossible to formulate any useful economic model of fishery without specifying the underlining biological dynamics of
the fishery. Based on constant price and unit cost of effort the total revenue denoted by
( ) = . ( ), where

formula

is the average price per kilogram of fish. The relationship between cost and effort is

assumed to be linear and then the total cost of fishing effort denoted by
cost of effort that includes cost of labor and capital and
denoted by

will be calculated using the

is defined as

( )= .

, where is the unit

is the unit of effort and thus the total economic rent of fishery

defined as
( )=

( )

(11)

( )

At the open access point, total fishing costs are equal to total revenues from the fishery. Then the open access
effort is obtained by equating

( )=

( ). Where

( ) =

and

( ) =

which yields

. To

calculate the effort for the Open Access Yield we used the two non trivial equilibria of (5).And thus we have two equations
namely
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and

. And substituting their corresponding values respectively gives

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Mathematical Bio Economics of Fish Harvesting with Critical Depensation in Lake Tana

/2) (

+ )+ (

+ ) 4

(1 + (

/ )) =

(12)

/2) (

+ )+ (

+ ) 4

(1 + (

/ )) =

(13)

From (12) we have

+ )/

)[(c(

) (c/

or

=0

)[(c(

=( /

] provided that(c(

+ )/

+ )/

) (c/

) > (c/

]. That is

=( /

. And thus the corresponding

) +

Open Access Yield in (7) to be

(

)=(
) (

= ( /2
Where

= [(c(

/2) (
+ )+ (

+ )/

From (13) we have

) (c/

= 0 or

+ )+ (

+ ) 4

(1 + (

+ ) 4

(1 + (1/

) )

+ )/

) (c/

/ ))

].

)[(c(

=( /

]. And thus the corresponding

Open Access Yield in (8) to be

(

)=(

= ( /2

/2) (
+ ) (

+ ) (

+ ) 4

+ ) 4

(1 + (1/

(1 + (

/ ))

) )

The Maximum Economic Yield (MEY) Of Critical Depensation Model

The maximum economic yield is attained at the profit maximizing level of effort which is obtained using equation
( )

(11). So that

we used the two non-trivial equilibria

and

( )

= 0 this implies that

and

( )

. To calculate the effort for the Maximum Economic Yield

in (5). And thus we have two equations namely

. And substituting the corresponding values of

and

in these equations give respectively

/2)[(

+ )+ (

+ ) 4

1+(

/ ) ] =

(14)

/2)[(

+ ) (

+ ) 4

1+(

/ ) ] =

(15)

From equation (14) we do have the following

(
2

+ )+ (

+ ) 4

1+(

/ )

Thus we have

| |
(

. Where

=(

(4

2 (

/ )

+ ) 4

) and = (2 /

1+(

)(

/ )

+ ).

Therefore, the efforts at maximum economic yield are:

=

+| |

+3

Or

| |

+3

And thus the corresponding Maximum Economic Yields in (7) to be

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Getachew Abiye Salilew

/2 (

[3(

=
Where

) + ] (

+| |

/2 (

(3 + ) (

=
Where

| |

+ )+ (

+ ) 4

+ ) 4

1+

[1 +

[3 + ]]

+3

+ )+ (

+ )+ (

+ )+ (

+ ) 4

1+

1+

(3 + )

+ ) 4

+3

From equation (15) we do have the following

+ ) (

+ ) 4

1+(

/ )

We have the same effort as the above

=

+| |

=
+3

(3
Or

)| |
=

/ )

=
(

+3
3

/ )

/(18

| |

+3

And thus the corresponding Maximum Economic Yields in (8) to be

=

(3 + ) (

(3 + ) (

/2 (

+ ) (

/2 (

+ ) (

+ ) (

+ ) 4

+ ) (

+ ) 4

+ ) 4

1+

1+

(3 + )

+ ) 4

1+

1+

(3 + )

4. PARAMETER ESTIMATION
4.1 Basic Parameters Estimation

Time series data from October to December in 2014 in case of Lake Tana is collected for the variables namely:
the total catch, the effort, the average price of fish. These data collected from the statistics section of No.1 Lake Tana
Fishing Co-operative organization. The variable catch was expressed in weight of biomass in kilo grams while the variable
effort, which is a composite of input, was expressed in terms of number of boats, nets, traps, vessels and with regard to the
variable fish price, average value was taken. Beyond this; informal discussion was held with fishermen and fishery officers
to gather their perception on the past and present level of exploitation of the fishery.
From Lake Tana we collect data to have our parameter estimation namely: intrinsic growth rate of the fish ( ),

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Mathematical Bio Economics of Fish Harvesting with Critical Depensation in Lake Tana

carrying capacity of Lake Tana ( ), the catchability constant ( ), cost of the effort ( ), price of the fish ( ) and the thresh
hold value

. To estimate these parameters based on Lake Tana, we have collected data for the number of fish produced in

kilogram in the three months of 2014as follows.

Table 1: Fish Production in Kilogram: Source No.1 Lake Tana Fishing Co-Operative
Month

Tilapia in Kgm

Barbus in Kgm

October
November
December
Total

1012
38522
6060
45594

30.8
1563.5
254.8
1849.1

Cat Fish in
Kgm
60
2666
677
3403

Total Fish in
Kgm
1102.8
42751.5
6991.8
50846.1

Carrying Capacity ( ) and the Catchability Constant ( )

Since 3600
=
of 2.8

is the area of Lake Tana and 10

. And approximately one tilapia fish weigh 2

= 36 10

, and thus

is its mean depth, thus the estimated volume of Lake Tana is:

has a capacity to carry

36 10

= 2.57145 10

fish has a volume

kg of fish. The parameter of

catchability constant ( ) can be estimated by the formula:

=

.
.

= 2.197054 10
Cost of the Effort ( )
In a normal production season a single trip by a boat with 20 gillnets of 10cm mesh size and 100m long is
expected to bring 100kg of whole fish per day. The total cost needed for fuel, boat, fishing net and human resource for one
trip or to produce 100kg of fish is 650 birr or 6.5 birr/kg of fish. To transport fish from harvesting sites to the processing
unit, 80 more birr is needed and the total expenditure reaches to 730 birr or 7.30 birr/kg for one quintal of fish.
The following table shows the cost of effort for harvesting fish from Lake Tana.
Table 2: Cost Estimation of Effort to Produce 100kg of Fish in One Day
Activities
Labour
Gill Net
Fuel
Boat rent
Transport
Total
From table 2 we have the cost is

Price in Birr/day to Produce 100kg Fish

200 birr
180 birr
250 birr
20 birr
80 birr
730 birr
= 7.3

for one boot. But in one day there are 25 boats on the whole

Lake Tana activate to harvest fish. And hence we can estimate the cost of fish as a whole
182.50

= 25 7.3

in one day.

Price of Fish
The following table consists the average price of three types of fish as indicated below

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Getachew Abiye Salilew

Table 3: Average Price of Fish Operative

Types of Fish Species
Tilapia
Barbus
Catfish

Average Price per Kilogram

16 birr/kg
8 birr/kg
9 birr/kg

And then the price of fish calculated as the mean price as

= (16 + 8 + 9)/3 = 11

The Thresh Hold Value

The effort for Open Access Yield is obtained by the formula
be non-zero and thus

to be exist, (1 ( /

where

= 7.551434371167 10 . That is

value

= 7 10 .

= (1 ( /

)) (( /

) 1) > 0. This implies that

)) (( /

< 7.551434371167 10

) 1) assumed to
0<

<

<

and hence let us take the thresh hold

Finally we summarize our parameters estimation by the following table

Table 4
Parameters
Carrying capacity
Thresh hold value
Catchability constant
Cost of effort
Price of effort
Intrinsic growth rate

Symbol

Value
2.57 10
7 10
2.197 10
182.50
/
11
/
0.5

Parameter Estimation for the Critical Depensation Model

Table 5: Parameter Estimation for the Critical Depensation Model
Description
( /9

/18

/2

( /36

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)[1 ( /
= ( /18

( /

Where =

Value
[ kg per day]

Formula

) (
) (
) (

4
+
+
+
+
)][( / ) ]
) + |(2c/ ) ( + )| +

+ )+ (
+ )+ (
+ )+ (

+ ) 4
+ ) 4
+ ) 4

(1 + ( /9
(1 + ( /
[1 + (/18

))
))

17.69 10
1.74 10
6.21 10
67.12 10
9.81 10

)]

3.51 10

; = 3 ; = + || +

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Mathematical Bio Economics of Fish Harvesting with Critical Depensation in Lake Tana

11

Table 6: Parameter Estimation for the Critical Depensation Model for Different Values of r

4.2 The Economic Model Estimation

In this section we calculated the economic rent or profit for critical depensation models by considering our real
data collected from Lake Tana. The total cost of harvesting denoted by

depends on the amount of effort being

expended. For simplicity, harvesting costs are taken to be a linear function of effort defined by

where

is

the cost per unit of harvesting effort, taken to be a constant and this equation imposes the assumption that harvesting costs
are linearly related to fishing effort. Let

denote the total revenue from harvesting some quantity of fish. The total

revenue will depend on the quantity harvested, so we have

( ). In a commercial fishery, the appropriate

measure of gross benefits is the total revenue that accrues to firms. Assuming that fish are sold in a competitive market,
each firm takes the market price

as given and so the revenue obtained from a harvest

And finally the economic rent or profit denoted by

is defined in terms of total cost

is given by

( )=

and total revenue

( ).
by

The Critical Depensation Economic Model Parameter Estimations

In this case we do have the following parameter estimation with the harvest at the given type of Effort is obtained
by
Table 7: The Critical Depensation Economic Model Parameter Estimations

0.5

182.5

11

2.1
10

11

2.5
1013

17.7
1010

1.7
109

6.2
1010

(
)
67.1
1012

)
11

9.8 10

(
)
351.0
10 11

And thus the profit or the economic rent with different type of harvest function is given by:
The critical depensation economic model for Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)

The critical depensation economic model for Open Access Yield (OAY)

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12

Getachew Abiye Salilew

The critical depensation economic model for Maximum Economic Yield (MEY)

5. DISCUSSIONS AND RESULTS

This study focuses on Lake Tana fishing activity or fishing management in which to identify whether overfishing
exists or not. To do this we have collected real data from the source namely: three months catch fish, number of boats in
the whole Lake. Biologically overfishing occurs when fish species are caught at a rate faster than they can reproduce.
A continuous increase of effort might result in an increase catch but at a decreasing rate or more effort may result in
proportionality a smaller harvest, which means the additional effort will have less return.
To determine whether or not over fishing occurs in Lake Tana we have considered parameter estimation for
different cases of the natural growth rates

= 0.5,

prefer to analyze the tabular approximate value for

and

= 1 and

= 2 in table 6. Without loss of any generality we

= 0.5 as our choice of the parameter is similar to that of = 1

= 2. There is overfishing in Lake Tana with the critical depensation model for values of effort less than the critical

mass quantity

and there is no over fishing for values of effort greater than the thresh hold value

. Here we consider

the critical depensation model on Lake Tana with parameter estimation: the natural growth rate = 0.5, carrying capacity
of Lake Tana
yield

= 2.57 10

kg of fish, the thresh hold value

= 7 10 kg of fish, effort for maximum sustainable

= 17.7 10 kg of fish, effort for open access yield

economic yield

= 1.7 10 kg of fish, effort for maximum

= 6.2 10 kg of fish. And thus we observed from these values that all efforts are less than the

thresh hold value and also less than the carrying capacity of Lake Tana therefore there is overfishing if we considered the
critical depensation model.
In the economic point of view we observe that the approximate price of total population fish in Lake Tana is
28.2 10

which is obtained by multiplying the carrying capacity of Lake Tana

and

= 2.57 10

the price of one kilo gram of fish 11 birr. In the critical depensation model we take the approximate price of fish at the
thresh hold value 0.77 10

which is obtained by multiplying the thresh hold value of Lake Tana

and the price of one kilo gram of fish 11 birr. And thus we do have parameter estimations:

10
706.06 10

, (

) = 104.73284 10

and

= 0.77
(

)=

) < 0. And thus in the critical depensation model

the economic rent or the profit obtained by all kinds of effort are greater than the price of the total population of fish in
Lake Tana and therefore there is overfishing.

6. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

To keep the sustainability of fish we must increase effort levels but not exceeding the carrying capacity in the
critical-depensation model. Even though the efforts are less than the carrying capacity , then there is overfishing in Lake
Tana using critical-depensation Model. Because the efforts are less than the critical mass quantity

which implies that

the natural growth rate of the fish is below zero. Therefore there is overfishing in Lake Tana using critical-depensation

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Mathematical Bio Economics of Fish Harvesting with Critical Depensation in Lake Tana

13

model. To continue the sustainability of fish in Lake Tana the effort level not be below the critical mass quantity
not be above the carrying capacity

and

. Since the culture of stakeholders around Lake Tana to keep appropriate data is low

and thus we cannot collect the data that we want. Therefore in the future work to have exact data the stake holders must be
informed so that giving real data gives their fishing management to be good.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Almighty God, thank you! Next to God I want to thank heartily my advisor Dr. Temesgen Tibebu, not only for his
supervision and advice but also for his willingness to consult him at any point of time, his patience and the experience he
shared me. Special gratitude goes to Bahir Dar; Fish production and Marketing Industry; Lake Tana No. 1 Fishing
Co-operative Organization and Livestock Resources Development and Production Agency for their assistance during the
collection of data. I dearly thank my family for never ending love and support. Thank you very much.
REFERENCES
1.

RatnishSuri, optimal harvesting strategies for fisheries: a differential approach, 2008, Massey University, Albany, Newzeland.

2.

F. Brauer and C. Castillo-Chavez, Mathematical Models in Population Biology and Epidemiology, Springer-Verlag, 2001.

3.

Linden, O. and Lundin, C. J. (1996). Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Tanzania. Proceedings of the National
Workshop, May 1995, Zanzibar. The World Bank and SIDA-SAREC.

4.

W. Getz, Population harvesting: demographic models of fish, forest, animal resources, Princeton Univ. Press, 1989.

5.

Conrad, J. and Clark, C. (1987). Natural Resources Economics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

6.

T. K. Kar and H. Matsuda. Sustainable Management of a Fishery with a Strong Allee Effect. Trends in Applied
sciencesresearch. 2(4), 271 283, 2007. ISSN 1819-3579 C 2007Academic Journals Inc.

7.

Munro, G. (1982). Fisheries, Extended Jurisdiction and the Economics of Common Property Resources. The Canadian
Journal of Economics 15.

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