An Analysis of Price Elasticity for Bluefin Tuna

Client: PEW Charitable Trusts
Duration: 2014
Bluefin tuna

Through MRAG Americas, we were commissioned to consider the direct economic effects on the fishery from implementing five alternative minimum weight restrictions on the Pacific bluefin tuna fishery.  Regression analysis was used to obtain estimators for factors influencing price of both fresh and frozen Bluefin.  This was to achieve the overall aim of estimating the expected changes in the total revenue of the Pacific bluefin tuna fishery with respect to the potential changes in yield from the proposed policy. As a result, several factors were identified that significantly explained the variation in prices, however the results indicated that overall, prices of bluefin tuna were inelastic to quantity supplied.