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V-Notching Case Study

288 Words2 Pages
A variety of factors affected the widespread adoption of V-notching. V-notching is inherently a collective action dilemma, as was briefly described when discussing lobster as a CPR, one that can be modeled by the prisoner’s dilemma game. Lobstermen that do not take the time to V-notch lobster still benefit from the protected breeders that result from others V-notching lobster. However, if every individual assumes that other lobstermen are V-notching, then the protective qualities of the norm will diminish as adherence to it drops off. In this case, the opposite occurred. Fishermen made the rational choice to V-notch because they saw the benefits V-notching afforded the entire lobster population, which in turn meant higher catches for them as
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