Abstract

Little is currently known about the net benefits and, therefore, the importance of recreational fishing in Sweden from an economic point of view. This thesis is an attempt to fill this gap by providing a number of empirical valuation studies on recreational fishing in Sweden. Furthermore, the thesis also proposes a number of methodological improvements of the currently available methods for measuring environmental benefits. The empirical results suggest that the economic value of sport-fishing in Sweden is higher than previously thought. In studies carried out at the Byske river, the Kaitum river and in the Bohus region (which includes river, lake and sea fishing), I find that the net value per day is roughly about SEK 100 (with variations depending on quality characteristics, travel costs and so on). In contrast, earlier studies find values that are much lower. Furthermore, I also find that the marginal value (per kg or number) varies significantly according to the type of fishing (ordinary, put and take, coastal, guide-boat, river), ranging from a few SEK (coastal fishing in Bohus region) to several hundred SEK for obtaining a “trophy fish” in the Kaitum river. A simple way of obtaining the marginal value of catch for each respondent within a contingent valuation experiment is proposed. Secondly, a multi-attribute extension of the contingent valuation method is devised, allowing a straightforward way to estimate the value of changing site characteristics. Thirdly, a new approach to designing a choice experiment is introduced, showing how a theoretically consistent design procedure by approximation can be implemented in a simple manner. Fourthly, a re-interpretation of a model often used in valuing environmental goods (the Random Utility Maximizing (RUM) model) is offered. While we are able to estimate the value of fish management in several dimensions (catch and release, bag limit and so on), the next step is to fully integrate this effort with available insights from ecological modelling of fish resources.