Economic Values and Regional Economic Impacts of Recreational Fisheries in Mississippi Reservoirs

Abstract

This study estimated the economic benefit of recreational fisheries on two trophy crappie Pomoxis spp. fisheries in Mississippi. We accomplished this by estimating economic impacts of angler expenditures and angler willingness-to-pay for fishing trips above current expenditures. Anglers spent 91,811 activity days on Sardis Reservoir in 2006 and 46,036 on Grenada Reservoir in 2007. The total economic impacts to the state were estimated at US$5.83 million on Sardis Reservoir and $2.15 million on Grenada Reservoir, supporting 75 and 51 full- and part-time jobs, respectively. Total consumer surplus was $5.57 million and $4.46 million on Sardis and Grenada reservoirs, respectively. Last, we used a model that predicted the effect of average spring water levels on total angling effort to estimate resulting changes in economic benefits. Spring angling effort and associated economic benefits peaked at intermediate water levels and declined at both low and high water levels. Future changes in precipitation patterns in the southeastern United States may require altering reservoir guide curves to maximize economic benefits associated with reservoir fisheries.

Received June 25, 2012; accepted October 3, 2012

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We appreciate the funding support provided by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Assistance in Sport Fish Restoration Mississippi Grant Number F-138 through the MDWFP. We appreciate the contributions of MDWFP biologists K. Meals and A. Dunn. Also, we thank the students and technicians in the Human Dimensions and Conservation Law Enforcement Laboratory at MSU who worked on this research. Finally, we thank the anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions that helped to improve to this manuscript.