Tuna fish are being driven to extinction because of overfishing. If all the fishermen know about this, why don't they fish less to slow down the extinction?
A) The kind of fishing equipment that is used does not allow for smaller catches.
B) There is a lack of well-defined property rights over the stock of tuna fish in the sea.
C) The fishermen do not realize that their way of life will also become extinct.
D) Their governments have not considered tradable allowances as a solution.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Without well-defined property rights, there is no incentive for fishermen to fish less because their competitors could still take the remaining fish. This results in a tragedy of the commons, where everyone fishes as much as possible, leading to overfishing and the extinction of tuna fish.

Tuna Fish Are Being Driven to Extinction Because of Overfishing