Benefits from recreational catch improvements may hinge on fish consumption safety: Evidence from the Cape Fear River, North Carolina

Stock declines in the Cape Fear River in southeastern North Carolina have prompted management actions to improve the ability of migratory fish species to reach suitable spawning habitat. Understanding the benefits of improvements to migratory fish passage will help policy makers make informed decisions regarding potential net gains from modifying existing locks and dams that inhibit upstream access by migratory species. A survey of licenced recreational anglers employing stated preference valuation methods was used to assess angler preferences and willingness to pay for improvements in fishing quality. Results from a contingent valuation exercise suggest that efforts to improve fish passage will generate economic benefits, with a majority of anglers willing to donate to a fund dedicated to improving the ability of migratory fish species to reach spawning habitat. Lower bound estimates of average willingness to donate range from approximately US $18.00 to US $21.00 per year, illustrating a viable source of revenue from donations by licenced anglers. Results from a discrete choice experiment suggest that recreational anglers have strong preferences for avoiding fish consumption advisories and catching more fish and are willing to incur higher travel costs for higher quality fishing trips, providing more evidence of benefits to recreational anglers from improving fish passage. However, anglers' strong aversion to fish consumption advisories suggests that the economic benefits of improved catch quality will be significantly diminished if fish are not considered safe to eat.