The contingent behavior of charter fishing participants on the Chesapeake Bay: Welfare estimates associated with water quality improvements |
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Authors: | P Joan Poor Matthew Breece |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Economics , St. Mary's College of Maryland , USA;2. United States Geological Survey , Annapolis, USA |
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Abstract: | Water quality in the Chesapeake Bay has deteriorated over recent years. Historically, fishing has contributed to the region's local economy in terms of commercial and recreational harvests. A contingent behavior model is used to estimate welfare measures for charter fishing participants with regard to a hypothetical improvement in water quality. Using a truncated Poisson count model corrected for endogenous stratification, it was found that charter fishers not only contribute to the local market economy, but they also place positive non-market value on preserving the Bay's water quality. Using two estimates for travels costs it is estimated that the individual consumer surplus is $200 and $117 per trip, and the average individual consumer surplus values for an improvement in water quality is $75 and $44 for two models estimated. |
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