#19 - Each year, an official estimate of the stock of cod in

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Resolve the Paradox. The correct answer choice is (C)

As the two separate estimates of the stock of cod have always matched up in the past, it would be expected that those estimates would continue to match up. As the estimate based upon commercial tonnage has been increasing and the estimate based on sampling has been decreasing, some intervening factor must have come into play that makes at least one of the two estimates less accurate. Therefore, we must find the answer choice the presents the cause for either the increase in the commercial tonnage estimate or the decrease in the sampling estimate.

Answer choice (A): If fishing vessels were underreporting the number of tons of cod they catch, you would expect that to lead to a decrease in the estimate based upon commercial tonnage, not an increase.

Answer choice (B): This answer choice would seem to imply that perhaps that surveying estimate has become more accurate, but it would do nothing to explain why specifically the surveying estimate increased while the commercial estimate decreased.

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. The commercial tonnage estimate is based upon how much cod was caught by commercial vessels per unit of effort. This estimate would remain accurate so long as the amount of effort to catch fish stayed constant. This answer choice, however, tells us that it does not. Therefore, the increase in the amount of fish caught per unit of effort did not result from an increase in the amount of cod available; it came from the increased efficiency of the commercial fishermen.

Answer choice (D): Same as Answer Choice B, this answer choice may explain why there would be some fluctuation may occur between the commercial and surveying estimates. It does nothing, however, to explain why those estimates are going in the specific directions they are going; nor does it explain why they have only now begun to deviate from each other.

Answer choice (E): Same as Answer Choice A, this answer choice would seem to imply that there would be a decrease in the estimate based upon commercial tonnage, not an increase.

[Jkjones3789]

Hello, When doing this question I wanted to pick C because I knew that the more efficient means of acquiring fish would increase the average .... But ... how does that answer address why the # of cod caught by research vessels has decreased. I understand that the # of cod caught by research vessels is an actual number and the other is an average but I still didn't want to choose C so I chose D instead since those were the only two I had in contention. Thank you

[BethRibet]

Hi JK,

Thanks for the question.
Though C does not reference research vessels, it still provides an explanation for the disparity between the two estimates. If the commercial vessels are more efficient, that could explain the increased catch, despite the fact that the research estimate indicates fewer cod are actually present.

The significance of answer choice D is unclear. To help explain, we would have to know more about the difference between the cod available in a 30 day period, as opposed to a continuous period. As it is, it doesn't really tell us anything that helps explain the difference between the two estimates.

Hope that helps!

Beth

[ronaldofenomeno]

Hi

I understand how (C) explains the increase in the commercial tonnage estimate by introducing improved fishing technology. However, I'm having difficulty reconciling this with the phrase 'by about the same amount as the sampling-based estimate has been decreasing.'

How does (C) account for the proportional decrease in the sampling-based estimate, given that it only directly addresses the increase in commercial tonnage?
How does the introduction of technology explain the 'same amount' aspect of the divergence, rather than just the increase in commercial tonnage?

Thank you

[Amber Thomas]

Hi ronaldofenomeno!

Let's break down our stimulus:

Premise 1: Every year, an official estimate of the stock of cod in the Grand Banks is announced.
Premise 2: This official estimate is a combination of two separate estimates.
Premise 3: One estimate is based on the number of cod caught by a research vessel surveying the area.
Premise 4: The other estimate is baed on the average number of tons of cod caught per unit of fishing effort.
Premise 5: Normally, these estimates are fairly close, however for the past decade, the commercial estimate has been increasing, and the sampling effort has been decreasing.

How do we resolve this paradox?

Now, let's look at Answer Choice C: Improvements in technology over the last 10 years have allowed commercial fishing vessels to locate and catch large schools of cod more easily.

This addresses both aspects of our paradox: a) it explains why the commercial vessels have been able to catch more cod, and b) since the commercial vessels have been catching more cod, it is likely depleting the resources of cod at a more rapid rate, thereby lowering the amount of cod the research vessels are able to catch.

I hope this helps!