Economic benefits of sport fishing and angler wildlife watching in Pennsylvania

This article answers two major policy questions about the economic benefits of sport fishing in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania: (1) what is the annual value of the commonwealth's sport fishing resources, and (2) what is the annual impact from the use of that resource? The study also evaluates the nonconsumptive value of nonresidential wildlife-watching resources for angler households. A mail survey was used to collect data on licensed Pennsylvania anglers' annual equipment and trip expenditures for sport fishing and for wildlife watching. Results of the travel cost method showed that the annual values of the sport fishing resources and the wildlife-watching resources were $3.98 and $0.50 billion, respectively. Results of the Impact Analysis for Planning model indicated that the annual economic impact of sport fishing was $4.75 billion. This information can be used with biological data, results of public opinion, and surveys about fisheries management to formulate policy decisions that help match availability of sport fishing resources with future demand.