While the Bureau has a wide involvement in fisheries economics, it sees itself as best contributing in the area of applied economic analysis. An example is given of research in the field of fisheries management, which has to take account of a number of complex biological and economic relationships. Frequently, management decisions have to be made with limited information and inadequate understanding of the longer term implications. a linear programming model is outlined which incorporates the underlying biological and technical relationships in the norther prawn fishery and which allows the effects of management options to be simulated.