TRAVEL COST METHODS FOR ESTIMATING THE RECREATIONAL USE BENEFITS OF ARTIFICIAL MARINE HABITAT

the deployment of artificial habitats. These The growing popularity of marine recrea- habitats can be sea-bottom structures contional fishing has created considerable in- structed from discarded materials (e.g., terest in artificial marine habitat development vessels and other transportation vehicles, or to maintain and enhance coastal fishery oil drilling platforms) or floating structures stocks. This paper provides a comparative (either surface or mid-water) made from a evaluation of travel cost methods to estimate variety of materials. Artificial habitats are recreational use benefits for new habitat site generally believed to improve fishing by conplanning. Theoretical concerns about price centrating fishes and by increasing overall and quality effects of substitute sites, corner biomass production (Bohnsack and Sutherland). solutions in site choice, and econometric Small-scale artificial habitat development estimation are considered. Results from a case has been practiced in the U.S for over a censtudy indicate that benefit estimates are in- tury (Stone). But, with the National Fishing fluenced by the way these concerns are ad- Enhancement Act of 1984 (P.L. 98-623) and dressed, but relatively simple single site the subsequent National Artificial Reef Plan models can provide defensible estimates. (U.S. Department of Commerce), artificial Practical limitations on data collection and habitat development has been recognized as model estimation are also considered. an important component of national coastal recreational fishing, artificial in artificial habitat development, and the efhabitat, limited dependent vari- fects of these public investments on sport ables, discrete choice models. angler and diver participation at artificial habitat sites have been well-documented (e.g., The growing popularity of marine recrea- Ditton and Graefe; Liao and Cupka; Roberts tional fishing has generated considerable in- and Thompson). terest in ways to maintain and enhance coastal Despite the growing interest in artificial fishery stocks. In 1985, the total number of habitats, few researchers have attempted to recreational fishing trips on the South Atlan- identify the economic use benefits of new site tic (Delaware to Florida) and Gulf of Mexico development. This is an integral part of efficoasts exceeded 61 million trips, representing cient site planning and evaluation that has an increase of over 10 million trips from 1979 been virtually ignored (Gordon and Ditton). (the first year in which national recreational The need for economic benefit estimation fishing statistics were collected) (National methods and results is particularly acute in Marine Fisheries Service). This growth in the the southern U.S. All states in the southern recreational demand for marine fishing has region now have active artificial habitat been accompanied by continuing development development programs (Sport Fishing Inand conversion of coastal habitats that sup- stitute). In addition, the supply of "materials port marine fisheries. One way to augment of opportunity" for artificial habitat is expandthe availability of fishery habitat and to ing rapidly. The U.S. Mineral Management recruit stocks for particular coastal areas is Service estimates that a minimum of 100 oil