Abstract

This paper discusses the connection between the concepts of fishing effort and separability of the
variables in a general fisheries production function of the Translog form. It compares the results
of the discussion with the Cobb-Douglas and Constant Elasticity of Substitution forms. It
concludes that to assume unconditionally that some or all inputs in the production function can
be aggregated into one effort index, frequently done simply by multiplication of the separate
input variables, is often erroneous. First, the variables may not be separable, and secondly, if
some input variables are separable, the structure of the effort index will depend on the
specification of the production function employed, and will not be a simple product.