Economics: Tragedy of the Commons Fishing Game

The Strategic Fishing Commons Game is an interactive simulation designed to demonstrate the economic concept of the tragedy of the commons. Players take on the role of a fishing company, making decisions across multiple rounds about how aggressively to harvest a shared resource. Each choice affects not only their own profit but also the health of the ecosystem and the strategies of rival firms. By experimenting with different levels of extraction, players experience the tension between short-term individual gain and long-term collective sustainability. The inclusion of competitor behaviours, fluctuating market prices, and alternative scenarios such as cooperative or regulated markets allows learners to explore how different institutional arrangements and incentives shape outcomes.

From a teaching perspective, the game provides a dynamic way to move beyond abstract definitions and immerse students in decision-making that mirrors real-world dilemmas. It can be used to prompt discussion about the balance between profit and responsibility, the limits of market forces in managing common resources, and the role of regulation or cooperation in preventing collapse. In a classroom setting, it works effectively as both a starter activity to introduce the theory and a plenary exercise to consolidate understanding, encouraging learners to reflect on why rational individual strategies often lead to irrational collective results. By engaging with the game, students are able to link theory to practical consequences, analyse outcomes under different conditions, and develop a critical appreciation of how economic models apply to environmental and business challenges.