An Introduction to Spatial Modeling in Fisheries Economics (Marine Conservation and Sustainable Fishing Practices) (Report‪)‬

Introduction The catalyst for the articles in this special issue was a workshop on "Spatial Modeling in Fisheries Economics" sponsored by the United States National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office (NOAA Fisheries) in October of 2002. The workshop evolved from discussions amongst fishery managers and scientists on the need to think more critically about the objectives and effects of spatial management of marine fisheries. These discussions are in response to the provisions in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act on the identification and protection of essential fish habitat (EFH) and Executive Order 13158, which calls for the development of a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the United States. The focus of the workshop was on the role that economists can play in designing and evaluating the cost effectiveness and efficiency of such policies and the methodologies needed for this task.