In a coastal village, five families share a bountiful fishery. For generations, the sea has provided. But as ambitions grow, so does the harvest. Can the community find balance, or will greed consume what nature gave freely?
The elders call a village meeting. The fish are fewer this season. Trust is tested.
Can you manage a shared resource without destroying it?
When many people share a limited resource, each person has an incentive to take as much as possible: even though everyone would be better off if they showed restraint. This dilemma, described by Garrett Hardin in 1968, explains overfishing, deforestation, pollution, and climate change. Economist Elinor Ostrom won the Nobel Prize for showing that communities can solve this: with the right institutions.
1,000 fish. 12 rounds. The fishery regenerates 10% each round, but only if there are fish left.
Extracts conservatively, always below sustainable yield
Grabs 70-90% of what he can. Short-term thinker
Moderate extraction (40-50%), advocates for rules
Watches others, then matches the group average
Community DiscussionChoose wisely. The fishery must survive for all.
Overfishing destroyed the resource. No one can fish anymore.
Final resource level: 0 / 1,000
Elinor Ostrom studied communities worldwide that successfully managed shared resources. She identified these principles:
