Question

William Easterly in The White Man's Burden shared the following account by New York University Professor Leonard Wantchekon of how Professor Wantchekon's village in Benin, Africa, managed the local fishing pond when he was growing up: To open the fishing season, elders performed ritual tests at Amlé, a lake fifteen kilometers from the village. If the fish were large enough, fishing was allowed for two or three days. If they were too small, all fishing was forbidden, and anyone who secretly fished the lake at this time was outcast, excluded from the formal and informal groups that formed the village's social structure. Those who committed this breach of trust were often shunned by the whole community; no one would speak to the offender, or even acknowledge his existence for a year or more. What economic problem were the village elders trying to prevent? Do you think their solution was effective?

Short answer

The village elders were trying to prevent overfishing which would deplete their resource, and potentially destabilize the village's livelihood. Their solution, which combined sustainable resource use and a social enforcement mechanism, was effectively addressing this issue, preventing resource exhaustion, and securing the village's long-term survival.

Step-by-step solution

Identify Economical Problem

The foremost concern was resource maintenance, in this case, the fishing pond. The elders regulated the fishing season based on the fish size, and if too small, fishing was completely prohibited. The problem they aimed to address was overfishing, leading to depletion of the fish population and therefore the village's resource.

Analyzing the Village Elders' Solution

Their strategy centered around sustainable use of the resource. They checked the readiness of the resource (in this case, the fish size) before opening the fishing season. If not up to standard, fishing was banned to allow for replenishment. Additionally, they implemented a social punishment system to impose the consensus, wherein violators were shunned; this was a deterrence method to discourage overfishing.

Evaluating Effectiveness

Their solution was effective in preventing the economic issue of overfishing and depletion of resources. The social punishment served as a strong deterrent against violation of the community-wide rule. Consequently, this approach ensured sustainability by protecting the fishing pond from being overused and allowing time for the fish population to regenerate. Thus, preserving the pond for future generations and keeping the livelihood of the villagers intact.