An Analysis of Trends in Net Economic Values for Bass Fishing from the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation

Economic trend information is important to many fisheries managers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's series of National Surveys of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Associated Recreation has been a source of information on wildlife-related recreation since 1955. Estimates of net economic values for recreational fishing based on contingent valuation questions have been presented for the 1980, 1985, 1991, and 1996 surveys. However, relatively little trend analysis has been performed with the contingent valuation data. The objectives of this paper are to assess trends in net economic values for bass fishing from the 1991 and 1996 surveys. Since similar survey methods have been used with the 1991 and 1996 contingent valuation data we statistically analyze these data to assess similarities and changes in effects of fishing quality and demographic change on net economic values. We find that net economic values are significantly lower in 1996 holding constant catch rates and respondent income.