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Expenditure and willingness-to-pay survey of Caribbean billfish anglers: summary report

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular No. 1168

Year of publication 2018

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 60 p.

Author Gentner, B, ; Whitehead, J.

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (series)

ISBN 978-92-5-130601-7

Series title FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular

Series number No. 1168

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) This circular summarizes the methods and results of a survey designed to estimate angler expenditures and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for billfish recreational fishing in the Caribbean. The survey conducted in 2017 found that the value of billfish recreational fishing and expenditures by recreational fishers are very high in the region. The results demonstrate that there is the potential to raise conservation funds from this resource user group. This study estimated that one more billfish caught in the Caribbean, regardless of the disposition of that catch, was worth USD 761, with USD 1 494 for an additional trophy fish caught. The survey also examined WTP for conservation funds that could provide longer term financing of fisheries interventions aimed at securing the sustainability of overfished billfish stocks. A stamp for billfish fishing, or a license for billfish fishing, is a seemingly appealing way of converting some of the WTP for increased stocks into a fund that can be used to enhance billfish conservation. On average, anglers that had not taken a trip in the last 12 months were willing to pay USD 280 for a government administered stamp or an endorsement that would allow them to target billfish for a year. Avid anglers are willing to pay somewhat more for such an endorsement, at USD 439/year for a government administered fund. Total daily expenditures by non-resident private boaters participating in this survey were USD 2 767/day and USD 1 036/day for residents. On the charter angler side, total non-resident expenditures were USD 2 971/day and resident anglers expenditures were USD 820/day the survey revealed. Overall, angler expenditures for billfish angling in the Caribbean could be as high as USD 3.5 billion and the total that could be raised from a billfish stamp could be USD 79.1 million for a government administered fund.

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