Social and economic perspective on recreational billfish fisheries

At the Second International Billfish Symposium in Kona, it was reported that little was known about the social and economic aspects of recreational billfish fisheries. There was plenty of background, some good questions, but few answers. There had been little history of social science involvement in fisheries management at the time and even less in billfish fisheries. Whether authorized or not, fishery management decisions worldwide are going to be made on the basis of 'best available' social and economic understanding. Unfortunately, the values held by many in the billfish angler community are not likely to be well represented in the mix for various reasons. Research in the USA and in Latin America over the past 13 years has provided an understanding of the billfish angler constituency, its commitment to catch and release and support for resource conservation, its local and regional impacts on tourism economies, and its willingness-to-pay above and beyond trip costs (a measure of user value) in the US Atlantic, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Mexico Pacific. Although knowledge of the recreational billfish fishery has improved, comparatively little is known about the social and economic benefits associated with commercial (direct and bycatch) billfish fisheries. With little more than dockside prices available in many localities, it is difficult to know their value in comparison with recreational fisheries and the possible trade-offs associated with various management measures. In addition to describing what is still not known, this paper will identify a future research agenda in this area.