Question

Yield is the total number offish caught each year.

Maximum sustainable yield is the total number of fish you can catch without harming the population. You are given a fish population that is described by the equation y = 126x + 745, and another fish population being overfished as described by the equation 33x + y = 1699, where x is the number of years and y is the number of fish. After how many years will these two fish populations be equal? Graph your equations in the coordinate plane.

Answer 1

After 6 years, the fish populations will be equal.

How to solve for when they will be equal

For the first population: y = 126x + 745

For the overfished population: 33x + y = 1699

Rearranged as y = -33x + 1699

Setting equations equal: 126x + 745 = -33x + 1699

Combine terms: 126x + 33x = 1699 - 745

159x = 954

Solve for x: x = 954 / 159 = 6

After 6 years, the fish populations will be equal.