Regional Impacts of Fishery Allocation to Sport and Commercial Interests: A Case Study of Ohio's Portion of Lake Erie

Abstract

The economic impacts of increased reallocation of Ohio's Lake Erie fishery from commercial fishing to sportfishing were examined with an input-output model of northern Ohio for 1978. With the growing popularity of sportfishing, sport anglers generate greater political pressure than do commercial fishermen for use of the limited resource. Sport anglers are already the only harvesters of walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) in Ohio. Added reallocations would only make additional yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and white bass (Morone chrysops) available. The model shows that the impacts of sportfishing on output, income, and employment are greater per unit of fish than the impacts of commercial fishing. However, the sportfishing sector in the model is dominated by summer walleye fishing. The reallocated yellow perch are primarily harvested in the autumn. Research on the response of sport anglers to the 1984 purchase of gill-net fishing rights is needed to determine if expenditures increase sufficiently to offset the loss from commercial fishing activity.