A Decision Support System for Recreational Fisheries Management

Anthony J. Felder
P.O. Box 118208, University of Florida, Gainsville, FL 32611-8208, 352-392-4042, tfelder@hhp.ufl.edu

Wolfgang Haider
Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada, 604-291-3066, whaider@sfu.ca

An interactive decision support system was developed to allow managers to evaluate the potential effects of alternative regulatory actions for king mackerel, red snapper and gag grouper fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic waters of Florida. The Windows-based computer program is driven by the results of a strategic choice model developed from a study of saltwater anglers in Florida. The strategic choice model used a fractional factorial design to generate hypothetical profiles of fishing experiences described by bag, size and season limits, distance traveled on water, and expectations of catch size and number on the allocation of fishing days. Recreational and anglers were asked to allocate ten days among fishing trip alternatives for king mackerel, red snapper and gag grouper, an alternative to fish for different species, and an alternative to engage in a non-fishing activity. Analysis was conducted with a multinomial logit model in which the aggregated allocation of fishing days to each alternative served as the independent variable. Part-worth utilities were estimated for each attribute level of each variable and selected interactions. The decision support system allows managers to estimate changes in recreational fishing trips based on changes in individual attributes (e.g. changing a three-fish limit to a five-fish limit or raising a minimum size limit from 20 inches to 24 inches). Linkages to estimating the economic effects of regulatory changes are also presented.