Economic Evaluation of Sport Fisheries—What Do They Mean?

Abstract

During 1968 we surveyed anglers in Idaho to assess: (1) gross annual expenditures by sport fishermen, (2) net value and consumer surplus of various high quality sport fishery resources in the state, and (3) distribution of fishing effort within Idaho by resident and nonresident anglers. Our objective in this paper is to: use the 1968 survey to review and evaluate techniques for assigning values to sport fisheries; compare our data with other surveys and plead for consistency in deriving economic values; and, lastly, to ask “what should these values mean to resource decision makers?” Using transfer costs assessed by mail questionnaires, we simulated demand functions for eight fisheries in Idaho. These fisheries accounted for 45% of the days fished by anglers in 1968. The estimated net value was %4,700,000, consumer surplus was %9,435,000, and capitalized net worth (at 4 3/4% interest) was %100 million. Anglers spent about %21 million on all fishing in Idaho in 1968. We found considerable variance among several studies of expenditures and transfer or variable costs, even in the Pacific Northwest, and suggest that consistent estimating procedures could greatly improve comparability of studies. We noted that gross expenditures do not satisfactorily measure resource value, although they may indicate trends in demand. Estimates of net worth crudely approximate user-oriented worth of a fishery if the resource were owned and marketed by a monopolist (e.g., the state), while consumer surplus roughly measures the unpaid-for benefits now received by anglers under non-market conditions. Capitalized values may offer comparisons of resource wroth in some situations. No measures are currently available for non-user fishery values, and until such measures are obtained, the benefits to society from fisheries will always be underestimated. Data on angler effort and expenditures, together with biological information can help administrators to optimize allocation of personnel and resources toward specific management objectives, and often assist the private sector.