Optimal Rebuilding of a Metapopulation

A contentious issue in recent fisheries management debates has been how to rebuild overfished marine fish stocks. We investigate the economic and ecological nature of rebuilding plans in a metapopulation system. We find "most rapid approach paths" for system-wide recovery that differ from prototypical paths that might be chosen when populations are assumed independent. For example, moratoria in some patches may be extended in order to speed the recovery of other patches in the system. We also investigate the costs of second-best policies that depend on the degree of spatial heterogeneity, the nature of the linkages, and the dispersal rates.