Economics of Recreational Fisheries for Inland Striped Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass

This paper considers the economics of recreational inland striped bass Morone saxatilis and hybrid striped bass fisheries using the. 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation database. First, the economics of recreational fishing is described using the basic demand model from introductory economics. I describe the data with a demographic summary of striped bass anglers and their targeting behavior, expenditures, and other relevant data. An average striped bass angler takes 24 fishing trips and specifically targets striped bass on nine fishing days per year. The aggregate economic expenditure is about US$1.2 billion dollars (2010 dollars) on striped bass fishing trips. I estimate a demand model for striped bass fishing days and use the results to infer the value of striped bass fishing day trips. The aggregate consumer surplus is about $1.85 billion.