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A Market Approach to Sturgeon Conservation under the U.S. Endangered Species Act
Author(s) -
Fernandez Stephen M.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
fisheries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1548-8446
pISSN - 0363-2415
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8446(2005)30[20:amatsc]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - endangered species , threatened species , listing (finance) , business , fishery , natural resource economics , geography , ecology , biology , economics , habitat , finance
The U.S. Endangered Species Act represented an extraordinary and unprecedented conservation effort when it was enacted in 1973. Since that time, it has provided significant protection for some of the world's most endangered and threatened species. However, such protection has come at the cost of not utilizing available natural resources to their fullest economic potential. With these two conflicting interests in mind, this article attempts to objectively evaluate the benefits and costs of the current Endangered Species Act and suggests policy and listing changes that could further the conservation purposes of the act while also reducing the economic costs associated with protection. More specifically, this article addresses whether a captive‐bred exception for the shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) could help conserve other wild, endangered sturgeon species while also promoting a safe, regulated source of high‐value food products to meet an ever‐increasing demand.