Valuing satellite systems to support fishing in a dynamic competitive model

This article investigates the technology adoption decision of a new satellite system aimed at locating tuna shoals. We propose a dynamic imperfect competition model with vertical differentiation in which each firm acts as a Cournot oligopolist and takes the evolution of the natural resource into account. In this dynamic setting, the model cannot be solved analytically and we rely on a numerical approach. Results are derived for the northern bluefin tuna. We find that high-quality firms value more the technology than low-quality firms. A direct implication of this result is that the market value of the new technology can be maximized while serving only the highest quality firms. We then evaluate how individual quotas can be used to increase the value that firms attach to the technology.