On the role of refugia in promoting prudent use of biological resources

Abstract

We explore a model of utilization in a premarket economy of a biological resource population by a social group which is the sole owner of the resource. The group is assumed to be motivated to derive as large a harvest as possible while at the same time attempting to keep the risk of extinction of the resource population at a low level. It is shown that this can most likely be achieved through total protection of the resource population in parts of its range set aside as refugia. Many primitive societies indeed follow this strategy, which deserves to be given more serious attention as a tool for the management of renewable resources.