Economic Valuation of the Benefits of Recreational Fisheries in Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico

Abstract

Recreational fisheries are important economic resources that are affected by conflicts with commercial fisheries. In order to generate information for management support of recreational fisheries, the Contingent Valuation and Travel Cost methods were applied to estimate the economic value of angling billfish (swordfish) in Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico. The results indicate that recreational fisheries in Manzanillo generate important economic benefits – not only through their economic impact on the local economy, but also the net economic benefits that anglers may experience. Fishery managers in Mexico should consider incorporating into their decisions information on the net economic benefits of recreational resources instead of using only market information.