The Economic Value Of Alaska'S Copper River Personal-Use And Subsistence Fisheries: An Application Of The Zonal Travel Cost Model

Abstract

The salmon harvest on the Copper River, Alaska, is shared by commercial, sport, personal-use and subsistence fishers. An important and reoccurring issue is the allocation of salmon harvest among these user groups. Economic analyses, along with biological, legal, social and cultural considerations, have the potential to help policy makers appreciate the consequences of alternative allocations. Although economic analyses of the commercial and sport fisheries have been completed, no comparable studies exist for the personal-use and subsistence fisheries. The zonal travel cost method (TCM) is used to estimate the net economic value (consumer surplus) of the Copper River Basin personal-use and subsistence fisheries. The nature of the fishery and the data set is especially well suited for this purpose. <p>