Quota Management Research Articles

Mathematical approaches to fisheries quota management: ensuring sustainable practices in U.S. commercial fishing

Fisheries quota management plays a critical role in ensuring the sustainability of commercial fishing practices, particularly in the United States, where overfishing and resource depletion pose significant challenges to marine ecosystems. This review explores the mathematical approaches utilized to manage fisheries quotas effectively and sustainably. The paper examines key mathematical models, including population dynamics, bioeconomic models, game theory, and Catch-per-Unit-Effort (CPUE) models, highlighting their role in maintaining fish stock levels and regulating fishing activities. Through case studies from U.S. fisheries, such as the New England groundfish and Alaska pollock fisheries, the review assesses the effectiveness of these models in real-world applications. Additionally, it explores how advances in technology, such as satellite tracking, big data, and artificial intelligence, are enhancing the accuracy and adaptability of fisheries management models. The review concludes with insights into future directions for mathematical approaches in fisheries management, emphasizing the need for continuous innovation to support sustainable commercial fishing practices. By integrating advanced mathematical techniques and data-driven models, this paper aims to provide a pathway for policymakers and fisheries managers to achieve long-term sustainability in U.S. commercial fisheries.

Integrating Māori Perspectives in Environmental Management and Fisheries

Māori perspectives on environmental management advocate for a balanced and interconnected approach, prioritising long-term sustainability. This contrasts with more reductionist and economically driven approaches focussed on short-term commercial gains. This paper provides an overview New Zealand’s Quota Management System (QMS) and Māori fishing rights. The paper describes aspects of mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), explaining key concepts such as kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and their application in commercial fisheries management. The research highlights how Māori-owned fishing companies balance economic interests with cultural and environmental stewardship, exceeding regulatory requirements to protect marine environments. The paper discusses the challenges faced by the industry, including environmental issues and public pressure for sustainability, while also noting the growth potential, particularly in aquaculture. By analysing the successful integration of Māori worldviews within the commercial fishing sector, this paper demonstrates the potential for reconciling Indigenous knowledge systems with modern resource management practices. It concludes that the Māori approach to fisheries management offers valuable insights for balancing economic development with ecological and cultural preservation.

Analysis and Optimization Suggestions on Allowance Allocation Methods of the Power Industry in the Carbon Market

The initial allocation of carbon emission allowances is an important component of the carbon market. An equitable, scientific, and operational quota allocation method and quota management system are the cornerstones for ensuring the healthy operation of the carbon market. Owing to the high emissions, simple process, and good data foundation, the pilot and national carbon market in China have initially included the power industry in allowance management and introduced a common and differentiated quota allocation method. In this study, we compared the allowance allocation methods for the power industry and summarized the methods for key issues such as unit classification, correction factor, product measurement, and quota carry-over. We observed that there were concerns, such as lagging issuance time, lack of carry-over provisions, lack of regulatory mechanisms, and imperfect methods, in the first performance cycle of the national carbon market quota allocation. We improved the allowance allocation system for the power industry in the carbon market from the methodological and management perspectives, including establishing a total allowance constraint, clarifying quota carry-over provisions, improving the quota verification method for co-firing units, optimizing correction factors' selection, and introducing a compensatory distribution system in a timely manner.

Joint management strategy of carbon allowance in the supply chain under free carbon allowance

Substantial reductions in carbon emissions are necessary to control global warming. However, the low capacity of individual companies to reduce emissions can constrain the capacity of the entire supply chain. This paper investigates how the supply chain manages carbon allowances to rationalize the allocation of carbon allowances and improve supply chain profits. Firstly, the supply chain alone manages the management of carbon quotas and then proposes new management of carbon quotas, including joint management of carbon allowances by manufacturer-led supply chains and co-management of carbon allowances by supplier-led supply chains. The Stackelberg game model aims to find the optimal price, wholesale product price, and carbon reduction level. Then, the paper compares profits under different management models, and the study results show that the supply chain joint management carbon allowance strategy is related to the number of carbon allowances and the price. The results of the study suggest that joint management of carbon allowances by supply chains can promote both environmental benefits and supply chain profitability, but from the perspective of individual benefits, there are not always opportunities for manufacturers and suppliers to join forces; it is also related to the number of carbon allowances and the price of carbon trading, and in some cases, supply chain joining forces will result in the lowest profitability of the whole supply chain. Finally, many numerical experimental validations further show that the joint management of carbon quotas in the supply chain can improve corporate profits and reduce carbon emissions, which provides essential insights for enterprises to manage carbon quotas.

Construction and application of urban water resources spatial equilibrium model: A case study of Ulanqab City

ABSTRACT Evaluating the water resources spatial equilibrium (WRSE) is the foundation for scientifically planning the construction of an optimized water resource allocation system and achieving the high-standard development of the China Water Network Project. To elucidate the characteristics of WRSE variation in Ulanqab City, this study explored a novel WRSE assessment model based on connection number and the subtraction set pair potential method. The results indicate that: (1) there exists a mismatch between the distribution of water resources in Ulanqab City and its socio-economic development. In 2020, the Gini coefficients of water resources total quantity concerning resident population, gross domestic product (GDP), industrial output value, and irrigated land area were 0.48, 0.48, 0.51, and 0.28, respectively. (2) From 2011 to 2020, the overall WRSE level in Ulanqab City showed an increasing trend year by year. Among them, the WRSE levels in six counties improved, while Jining District consistently remained at a low equilibrium state due to the prominent contradiction between water supply and demand. (3) In the future, Ulanqab City can further enhance the WRSE level by promoting the reuse of recycled water, intensifying groundwater pollution control, and implementing a quota management system for agricultural water use.

Investigation of policy tools for energy efficiency improvement in public buildings in China—current situation, obstacles, and solutions

The energy consumption from the building sector accounts for more than 21% of the total in China, where the energy-use intensity of public buildings could reach 3 times that of residential buildings. Energy efficiency improvement (EEI) is considered to be one of the most rapid and cost-effective means for the building sector to achieve carbon neutrality. The Chinese government has carried out a series of policy tool exploration to promote the energy efficiency improvement efforts by public building owners since over a decade ago, but encountered various problems and obstacles. This paper investigated and compared the current status challenges, and problems in the implementation of EEI policy tools in China and developed countries through literature review, field investigations and interviews with experts and stakeholders, and finally also put forward some possible coping strategies for Chinese government. Results indicated that energy grading and labeling, energy benchmarking, carbon-emission trading and energy-consumption quota management were the main 4 EEI policy tools designed based on measured energy consumption data, where the first 3 ones had been widely used over the developed countries but the last one was unique to China. Difficulty in large-scale collection of building energy-consumption data, lack of scientific methods on building energy-use level evaluation, limited data application and feedback, undesirable association between stakeholders, etc., were the main obstacles for achieving the long-term effectiveness of the EEI policy tools. Cooperating with energy supply enterprises to collect data, establishing an effective energy grading system and a closed loop of policy implementation, exploring a new model of building carbon-emission trading and a differential pricing mechanism, combined with innovative financial supports, might be the solutions. The main contribution of this study is that a comprehensive investigation and analysis on the current development status, obstacles, and possible solutions of the public building EEI policy tools in China was carried out, which is expected to provide a reference for the government of China and even the world.

Indigenising the blue economy in Aotearoa New Zealand

As significant stakeholders in the marine estate, Māori will play a central role in the proposed transition to a blue economy. While te ao Māori (the Māori worldview) aligns well with the blue economy, due to the consequences of colonisation and the specific circumstances caused by the Quota Management System and resulting Treaty of Waitangi settlement legislation addressing historic Māori grievances regarding fishing rights, Māori also face a number of extra constraints regarding this transition. This paper examines these constraints, arguing that these they are largely due to the current legal framework.

Quota management in dCache or making a perfectly normal file system normal

dCache (https://dcache.org) is a highly scalable storage system providing location-independent access to data. The data are stored across multiple data servers as complete files presented to the end-user via a single-rooted namespace. From its inception, dCache has been designed as a caching disk buffer to a tertiary tape storage system with the assumption that the latter has virtually unlimited capacity. dCache can also be configured as a disk-only storage system with no tape backend. Owing to the idea that a tape resource is infinite, or purely physically limited by budget considerations, the system has never provided for any restrictions on how much data can be stored on tape. Likewise, in the disk-only configuration, the capacity of the system is only limited by the aggregate disk capacity of the data servers. In a multi-user environment, however, this has become problematic. This presentation will describe the design and implementation of a user-and group-based quota system, that allows to manage tape and disk space allocations, as part of dCache namespace.

An Analytical Study on the Measurement of Agricultural Net Irrigation Water Requirements

The net irrigation water requirement (NIWR) in the irrigated area is the “terminal” of water-use efficiency and the basis for implementing quota management and water-saving incentives. Also, it is significant for farmland water management and water conservation in irrigated areas. In light of the average water consumption per mu and the crop area, which are two key indicators of the NIWR, this paper adopts the field selection measurement method and the statistical method based on the image patches achieved by China’s third national land survey to acquire the data of water consumptions and crop areas. In this case, four principles of field selection are proposed, including “basic requirements”, “moderate size”, “controllable water inflow”, and “measurement practicality”, in an attempt to increase the number of fields selected for analysis. In addition, based on the image patches, the “complete investigation” and the “typical investigation” are suggested for irrigated areas at different scales to determine the crop areas, which are proven practicable and available for evaluating the water-use efficiency of irrigated areas at different scales.

Allocations, quota and abalone fishery management: the Tragedy of the commons revisited

ABSTRACT Fisheries management uses a variety of methods to assess stocks, assign quota or allocations, and calculate potential for sustainability. In the New Zealand abalone (pāua) fishery, neither the total stocks nor amount removed in any fishing year are well-known because a major portion is fished ‘recreationally’, for which there is no requirement for a licence or catch reporting. Actual harvests relative to allocations cannot be established until well after the fishing season, and require data not typically collected. This was demonstrated over a 3-month fishing season opened after a 5-year closure along the earthquake-affected northeastern coast of the South Island. Recreational fishers removed c.74% of nearshore biomass of Haliotis iris populations. This was, in effect, a Tragedy of the Commons, whereby a common resource is exploited by those who harvest first, with scant regard for what remains. The underlying weakness is in the recreational fishing management rules which, in this instance, provide stark lessons in why abalone populations have come under pressure worldwide. We discuss concepts, prior knowledge, inertia in management, and a potential way forward, with the aim of preventing serial depletion of pāua populations and fostering more effective management that ends the Tragedy of the Commons.

The effect of quota portfolio composition on optimal harvest strategy and profitability in a multi-species fishery

Abstract The benefits of individual vessel quota (IVQ) management in terms of improved harvest strategy and profitability are well recognized, but there is less focus on how different components of a quota portfolio can influence decisions underlying the effort allocation and profit-maximizing behaviour of fishers. Variations in the components of the quota portfolio may create economic incentives that alter the optimal harvest strategy and profitability. Thus, we study the potential impact of different components of quota portfolio on the intra-annual harvest strategy and profitability in two segments of the Norwegian bottom trawl fleet. By developing a vessel-based spatio-temporal bioeconomic framework, we demonstrate and compare adopted harvest strategies and accrued profits for small and large trawl vessels under three scenarios regarding restrictive quotas in codfish fishery. Our analysis confirms that alternations in the components of the quota portfolio influence the spatio-temporal dynamics of the fishing effort for small and large trawl vessels in different ways, probably due to the differences in vessel-specific characteristics. We also demonstrate that the differences in profit between small and large vessels in part depend on the overall size of the quota portfolio. The economies of scale in the trawl industry are being eroded as the shares of higher-priced species in the quota portfolio decreases. The benefits of economies of scale cannot be reaped as trawlers respond to the reduction in profit by redirecting effort from offshore areas of the Arctic to nearshore waters or staying ashore. Likewise, having small quotas of high-priced species reduces the effectiveness of the IVQ system in meeting management objectives, and could in some cases undermine sustainability outcomes. Our results also demonstrate that both the intensity with which fishers react to the fluctuations in market price levels and fishers’ perceptions of location attractiveness are influenced by the components of the quota portfolio.

Evaluasi Kebijakan Penyelenggaraan Haji dan Dampaknya Terhadap Pengeluaran Pemerintah Indonesia Tahun 2023

The pilgrimage to Mecca, known as Hajj, is a significant religious obligation for Muslims around the world. Indonesia, with its large Muslim population, annually sends a substantial number of pilgrims to perform Hajj. This study conducts an evaluation of the policy regarding the organization of Hajj and assesses its implications on the government expenditure of Indonesia for the year 2023. The evaluation focuses on the efficiency, effectiveness, and financial sustainability of the current policy, considering factors such as Hajj quota management, transportation, accommodation, and associated services. The study aims to provide insights into how the Hajj policy impacts the Indonesian government's fiscal allocation and overall budgeting, shedding light on potential areas for improvement and optimization of resources in the future. The findings of this research contribute to better policy formulation and decision-making processes, ultimately aiming to enhance the overall management of Hajj and optimize government expenditure.

Carbon quota allocation modeling framework in the automotive industry based on repeated game theory: A case study of ten Chinese automotive enterprises

Carbon quota management system is a long-term effective mechanism to promote the sustainable development of automotive industry. However, issues such as the total amount and allocation mechanism of carbon quotas hinder countries' implementation of carbon quota policies in the automotive industry. To address these issues, this study uses the GREET model and system dynamics model to predict carbon emissions in the automotive industry and sets the total carbon quota for China's automotive industry. Furthermore, based on the ZSG-DEA model and Gini coefficient model, this study applies repeated game theory to propose a carbon quota allocation modeling framework for the automotive industry. The results show that the proposed allocation modeling framework achieves a balance between equity and efficiency while taking into account the interests of both the government and enterprises, and achieves an equitable allocation of carbon quotas among 10 representative automotive enterprises. This study can provide reference for the design of carbon quota management system in the automobile industry.

ЕКОЛОГО-ЕНЕРГЕТИЧНЕ ОБҐРУНТУВАННЯ ПОТРЕБИ В СІЛЬСЬКОГОСПОДАРСЬКИХ ПЛОЩАХ ДЛЯ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ПРОДОВОЛЬЧОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ УКРАЇНИ

The article examines the energy equivalent of the needs in cultivated areas to ensure food security of Ukraine. It was determined that integration into WFE-strategies of food policy requires a comprehensive assessment of the energy component of agricultural production relative to the area of arable land, which will include the productivity of the main crops in the aspect of converting solar energy into food calories. A methodology was created and the efficiency of converting solar energy into the commodity energy value of the products of the grocery basket was calculated: 0.15-0.8% for cereals and vegetables, 0.042-0.054% for meat, 0.015-0.035% for drinks and spices, 0.12 % for dairy products, 0.37-0.93% for eggs. The overall efficiency of human consumption of solar energy through the food chain is 0.22%. To meet these needs, 1,831.3 m2 is needed, which receives 545.8 MW of solar energy during the growing season. It was determined that the yield fluctuations of the main crops are sinusoidal and their use in modeling the need for sowing areas will in the future allow to develop a dynamic model of management of benefits and quotas to stimulate the coverage of a possible shortage of certain main products. Also estimated is the amount of energy that can be used without affecting the yield by renewable energy when using a mobile configuration of its placement (or, on the contrary, directed to artificial lighting of the crop under stationary systems). As a result, basic indicators were obtained, which can be relied upon when developing a food security strategy for cities, and it was also determined that a standard household plot of 0.25 hectares fully covers the needs of one person with a surplus.

Low Carbon Building Design Optimization Based on Intelligent Energy Management System

The construction of relevant standards for building carbon emission assessment in China has just started, and the quantitative analysis method and evaluation system are still imperfect, which hinders the development of lowcarbon building design. Therefore, the use of intelligent energy management system is very necessary. The purpose of this paper is to explore the design optimization of low-carbon buildings based on intelligent energy management systems. Based on the proposed quantitative method of building carbon emission, this paper establishes the quota theoretical system of building carbon emission analysis, and develops the quota based carbon emission calculation software. Smart energy management system is a low-carbon energy-saving system based on the reference of largescale building energy-saving system and combined with energy consumption. It provides a fast and effective calculation tool for the quantitative evaluation of carbon emission of construction projects, so as to realize the carbon emission control and optimization in the early stage of architectural design and construction. On this basis, the evaluation, analysis and calculation method of building structure based on carbon reduction target is proposed, combined with the carbon emission quota management standard proposed in this paper. Taking small high-rise residential buildings as an example, this paper compares and analyzes different building structural systems from the perspectives of structural performance, economy and carbon emission level. It provides a reference for the design and evaluation of low-carbon building structures. The smart energy management system collects user energy use parameters. It uses time period and time sequence to obtain a large amount of data for analysis and integration, which provides users with intuitive energy consumption data. Compared with the traditional architectural design method, the industrialized construction method can save 589.22 megajoules (MJ) per square meter. Based on 29270 megajoules (MJ) per ton of standard coal, the construction area of the case is about 8000 m2, and the energy saving of residential buildings is 161.04 tons of standard coal. This research is of great significance in reducing the carbon emission intensity of buildings.

Understanding local government debt in China: A regional competition perspective

The GDP tournament among local governments plays a crucial role in supporting China’s growth miracle. Investment-driven economic growth has led to a surge in local government debt in the past decade. Using a comprehensive dataset of prefectural-level government debt, we find that regional GDP competition has an asymmetric impact on the local government debt. With GDP growth falling behind its competitors, a local government tends to issue debt more aggressively. In contrast, the effect is insignificant for the regions with GDP growth ahead of their competitors. Furthermore, we find that the regulatory policy implemented in 2015 effectively dampens the impact of regional competition on local government debt. However, debt limit constraints are time-variant and present spatial heterogeneity. In regions with loose borrowing constraints, regional GDP competition still matters for local government debt expansion even if debt quota management is put in place.

Achieving greater equity in allocation of catch shares: A case study in China

The allocation of catch shares among fishing entities is a key element of a total allowable catch control system. Current allocation schemes fall short in their ability in terms of ensuring fairness and feasibility and there is much scope for improvement. In this study, a new allocation method based on applying a relative deprivation coefficient is introduced into the allocation of catch shares, and demonstrated in a case study involving the 11 coastal provinces in China. Advantages of this process of quota allocation in comparison with well-established allocation methods were investigated. Compared with the conventional single-criterion approach and simple multi-criteria-based allocation with equal weights, the new allocation scheme integrating the new weighting method with multi-criteria allocation showed superior performance in rendering the outcomes in catch shares allocation fairer and more reasonable, with a Gini coefficient below 0.2. Quota proportions for the 11 coastal provinces under the newly developed allocation scheme were between maximum and minimum ratios of those under schemes using a single-criterion, which shows strong utility in reducing the rigidity of a single-criterion allocation approach and improving the acceptability of the allocation results. This study offers a viable yet fairer alternative for facilitating sustainable fisheries via quota management and provides a reference for fisheries policy makers in equitably allocating catch shares.

Structural and productivity changes from introducing strong user rights in the Danish demersal fisheries

This study examines structural and total factor productivity changes given the transition to a management system introducing stronger user rights (SURs) embedded in an individual transferable quota (ITQ) management scheme for the Danish demersal fishery in 2007. The focus is on the four most profitable Danish demersal segments. A Malmquist index approach is applied over the 2000–2016 period, thus capturing possible changes before and after the management change. This is supplemented by a quantitative analysis of the structural changes in fleet capacity and catches over the period. The analyses first show that total factor productivity (TFP) decreased from 2000 to 2006 and increased after the introduction of stronger user rights from 2007 to 2016 for all segments. Segments with access to the North Sea experienced higher productivity growth than segment fishing in the Baltic Sea. Some segments experienced high productivity growth in the year just before the change and an influx of vessels, which is believed to have been caused by the strategic behaviour of the fishers. The overall conclusion is that introducing strong user rights has had a positive effect on TFP growth and has further led to corresponding capacity reduction in the Danish demersal fisheries.

Government Reserve of Rare Earths under Total Quota Management: An Interactive Game between Government and Rare-Earth Firms

The total quota control and reserve of rare earths are important means for the sustainable development and utilization of rare-earth resources. Focusing on the government reserve of rare-earth products under stochastic demand, this paper analyses the interactive decisions of the government and the rare-earth firms from a game-theoretic perspective. The government determines the total quantity, reserve quantity and reserve–release quantity of the rare-earth products to maximize social warfare, while the firm decides the price of rare-earth products to maximize its own profit. The results show that the production cost and the expected net present value (NPV) of the reserve are important factors affecting the government’s decisions. When the expected NPV of the reserve is below a threshold, the government adopts the no-reserve strategy: it determines only a total quota index that maximizes the current-period social welfare but keeps no reserve. When the expected NPV of a reserve is higher than the above threshold but lower than the production cost, the government adopts the low-reserve strategy: it determines a total quota index and a low reserve that are both in increasing in the expected NPV of reserve, and will release the reserve as many as possible if there is a supply shortage. When the expected NPV of a reserve is higher than both the above threshold and the production cost, the government adopts the high-reserve strategy: it sets a total quota index which is sufficiently large to cover the entire market demand, reserves a large amount, and releases part of the reserve to completely fill the demand gap (if any).

Diffusion of Cement Kiln Co-Processing of Contaminated Soil in Selected Provinces of China: Engineering Practices, Modeling, and Driving Factors

Promoting the diffusion of remediation technologies is an attractive solution to environmental protection and urban sustainability challenges. To better understand technology diffusion, we reviewed the engineering practices of cement kiln co-processing (CKC) of contaminated soil and obtained diffusion parameters using the Bass model in three provinces of China. Our results show that CKC has been adopted for the disposal of multiple contaminants and that the optimal feed rate of contaminated soil is 4–5%. The obtained diffusion parameters can be used to analyze and predict CKC diffusion. Driving factors analysis suggest that CKC diffusion is regulation-driven and obeys the S-curve pattern. Policies at the national level shape the basic pattern of the diffusion curve, while local policies, market scales, and contaminant types produce variations in diffusion rates across provinces. Results also reveal that the co-processing quota management on contaminated soil has little impact on CKC adoption. This study provides insights into contaminated soil remediation technology diffusion and the effectiveness of environmental policy implementation at home and abroad.