Michael De Alessi

In the following viewpoint Michael De Alessi argues that fisheries are resilient, and if private conservation strategies are encouraged, they can recover. When the government intervenes to rescue depleted fisheries, De Alessi claims, the fishers are not held responsible for their actions, so they are not motivated to conserve it. When fishers own the fishery, however, they conserve it because they bear the cost of its depletion. The success of private conservation efforts argues for private stewardship rather than government intervention, he asserts. De Alessi is director of the Center for Private Conservation.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. In De Alessi’s opinion, how do institutions influence the outlook for marine fisheries?
2. How has government intervention in response to fish depletion affected the relationship between the...