If a monetary value is to be assigned to the killed fish, Appendix I should be examined to determine whether a length or weight measurement is needed. Because field measurements of fish often are limited to lengths, length-weight conversion functions may be needed. These chapters do not discuss the use of aerial photography nor do they consider the use of population studies before and after a fish kill to appraise damage. Fishery management and other agencies frequently seek monetary damages after a die-off of fish due to pollution or other human activities. These guidelines are recommendations only and are not intended to supersede any existing state, provincial, or federal methods for estimating damages after a fish kill.
Fisheries vary from one location to another, even within one state or province.
Therefore, fishery managers should use their professional judgements and expertise to conduct specific studies, when needed, and to adjust the values listed in this book, when appropriate, to reflect local fishery conditions. This chapter proposes a standardized economic methodology for fishery management and sets forth procedures for calculating losses in value to users of a recreational fishery affected by a fish kill. There are gaps in the economic data currently available to fishery managers, but provisions are made to account for these gaps. It is hoped that application of the procedures recommended herein will stimulate economic research to fill the data gaps and to further develop the economic concepts on which fishery valuation can be more firmly based. The methods described in this chapter apply only to recreational fisheries that are under the purview of public or private resource management agencies.