Economic methods of assessing the sensitivity of fishing demand to acid precipitation

Methods of assessing the economic response of recreational fishermen to acidification are briefly contrasted. One method involves estimation of site demand for the population from a zone of origin. Welfare measures for a large group of individuals are derived for damages that occur over a large area of the Adirondack State Park. These measures are based on a simulation of acidification by lowering the pH level at the ponds in the analysis. The other method allows derivation of individual-specific welfare measures for enhancement of certain species at certain sites in the Park. Catch rates for species that are most likely to be damaged by acidification are increased under three scenarios and the response is measures for the individual's partial demand function. This increase simulates liming, or another technique which diminishes the effects of acidification. Both methods depend on the knowledge of the complex relationship between fish populations and acidification. -Author

Economic methods of assessing the sensitivity of fishing demand to acid precipitation Academic Article