In: Economics
An island has 2 reefs that are suitable for fishing and 20
fishermen. Each fisherman can fish on only one reef. The current
institution is that a fisherman gets to keep the average number of
fish caught from the reef on which he chose to fish. On reef 1 the
total number of fish caught is given by F1(R1) = 12R1 − (R1)2/2,
where R1 is the number of fishermen on reef 1. For reef 2 the
relationship is F2(R2) = 5R2, where R2 is the number of fishermen
on reef 2.
Part A: Under this institution, what is the total number of fish
caught?
Part B: The chief of the island asks his economist whether this
arrangement is efficient (that is, whether the equilibrium
allocation of fishermen to reef maximizes the number of fish
caught). What is the answer to the chief’s question? Explain. How
would you determine the efficient number of fishermen on each
reef?