Economic Values for Saltwater Sport Fishing in Alaska: A Stated Preference Analysis

Abstract

The knowledge of how anglers value their fishing opportunities is a fundamental building block of a sound marine policy, especially for stocks for which there is conflict over allocation between different uses (e.g., allocation between recreational and commercial uses and conservation goals). This paper reports on how recreational saltwater anglers value their catches, and the regulations governing them, of Pacific halibut Hippoglossus stenolepis, Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, and coho salmon O. kisutch off the coast of Alaska using stated preference choice experiment data from 2007. Using data from a stated preference survey, we estimated the economic value, or willingness to pay, anglers place on saltwater boat fishing trips in Alaska and assess their response to changes in the characteristics of fishing trips. The results show that Alaska resident anglers had mean trip values ranging from US$246 to $444, while nonresidents had much higher values ($2,007 to $2,639), likely reflecting the fact that their trips are both less common and considerably more expensive to take. Nonresidents generally had significant positive values for increases in the number of fish caught, bag limit, and fish size, while Alaska residents valued size and bag limit changes but not catch increases. The economic values are also discussed in the context of allocation issues, particularly as they relate to the sport fishing and commercial fishing sectors for Pacific halibut, which is a current issue facing Alaska marine fisheries managers.

Received September 8, 2011; accepted March 22, 2012

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Ron Felthoven, Amber Himes, participants of the 2011 Biennial Forum of the North American Association of Fisheries Economists, and two anonymous reviewers and an associate editor for useful comments that have improved this article. We also thank Kailin Kroetz for providing useful information on quota share values in halibut IFQ markets. All remaining errors, if any, are our own. This article and its findings do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or the National Marine Fisheries Service.