Productivity is a key policy metric. Productivity indices can be
constructed under a wide range of data availabilities. In the U.S.
policy makers are charged with managing fisheries to maximize
benefits to the nation. As an indicator of net direct benefits of the
fishing industry, productivity indices can play a key role in tracking
the economic health of this sector. Furthermore, productivity
indices track the health of the industry using the variables, namely
inputs and outputs, over which managers have historically exercised
regulatory control (for better or worse). More generally,
regulations can intentionally or unintentionally impose constraints
on inputs or outputs. Tracking productivity over periods of
policy implementation can provide insight into the realized effect
of a given policy. A classic example in fisheries is the input/effort
leakage that can result from effort control policies (e.g., ship
length) as fishermen substitute inputs that are not regulated for
inputs that are.
The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of productivity
analysis and to review some of the key applications to
fisheries. First, productivity analysis and how it has evolved is
reviewed. Then, the main methods used to measure productivity
change are discussed, followed by a review of past productivity
studies in fisheries. This is followed by a brief synopsis of the
papers included in this special issue.