Recovering Aquatic Species at Risk: The valuation of management actions for incorporation into policy decisions

Abstract

The complex nature of policy decisions related to fisheries management actions undertaken for marine species protection results in policy makers frequently facing conflicting positions. For many management actions in Canada, a socio-economic impact assessment must be completed; this assessment estimates the impacts on the Canadian population. Two species-specific studies addressing the management of a Pacific Rockfish species and a Lake Sturgeon population were conducted for with the intent of estimating values for use in future analyses. Using conditional logit and latent class models, welfare measures were calculated for management actions related to each species; additionally, the impact of species’ characteristics, the protection program costs, and the demographic characteristics of the survey respondents were addressed.