Data Envelopment Analysis to Evaluate the Reliance and Engagement of Florida Communities on Gulf of Mexico Commercial Red Snapper Fisheries
ABSTRACT The red snapper fishery is impacted by the individual fishing quotas (IFQ) program, which is considered a new paradigm for the red snapper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. The commercial red snapper fishery is one of the essential fishing industries in Florida, and its management is crucial to maintain healthy, sustainable communities. To determine the involvement of Florida Gulf Coast communities in the commercial red snapper fishery and thus the potential extent of fishery-related decisions, this study made use of data envelopment analysis (DEA), an estimation performance technique. Some of the most interesting findings of this study show that larger communities tended to be more engaged in the fishery than they were reliant on it, whereas smaller communities with populations of 5,000 people or fewer tended to exhibit more reliance on the fishery than larger or even mid-sized communities.