1. The Second European Consultation on the Economic Evaluation of Sport and Commercial Fisheries in Europe was organized by the European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission (EIFAC) and held on 22–24 September 1975 in Gothenburg, Sweden, at the kind invitation of the Swedish Government. The Consultation was attended by 31 experts from eight countries. A list of participants is given in Appendix A to this report.
2. The Consultation was opened by the Secretary of the European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission (EIFAC), Mr. J.L. Gaudet and the participants were welcomed in an address by Mr. Svante Lundkvist, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries of Sweden (Appendix B). The Minister stressed the fact that the subject matter of the Consultation was of great interest to Sweden, where 34 percent of the population fish in their leisure time. Demand for easily accessible and good fishing waters has grown dramatically, he said, because of the increased amount of leisure time and a greater awareness and need of the Swedish people for closer contact with nature in a more densely populated world. The need for more objective fishery legislation to eliminate where possible unnecessary obstacles for increased and freer fishing in Swedish waters was evident. Also the serious pollution problems such as the acidification of Swedish waters originating both from Sweden and abroad called for more international collaboration on the evaluation, protection and development of recreational fishery resources.
3. The history of the study of the economic and social evaluation of sport and commercial fisheries by EIFAC was reviewed in the address by Mr. J.L. Gaudet, Secretary of EIFAC, speaking on behalf of the Director General of FAO (Appendix C). He noted the close collaboration between EIFAC and Canada and the United States in this field and paid special tribute to Dr. Ingemar Norling of the Graduate School of Social Work and Public Administration of Gothenburg for his enthusiastic support of EIFAC activities in this field.
4. In accordance with established procedure, the chairmanship of the Consultation was offered to the host country. The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries for Sweden nominated Dr. I. Norling as Chairman. It met with the unanimous agreement of the Consultation.
5. The Consultation adopted the agenda with small modifications, which consisted in grouping items 5 and 6 (Appendix D). The Chairman appointed two rapporteurs, Messrs B. Steinmetz (Netherlands) and A.L.W. Tuomi (Canada).
6. In order to give as wide a perspective as possible to the discussion, general reports on the status of recreational fisheries in Europe, Africa and North America were given. See documents SCF/75/2, 11, 12, 13 and 15.
7. Each country present at the Consultation reported on national efforts in the field of economic and social evaluation of sport fisheries.
8. In Canada, federal provincial sport fisheries conferences have been held in 1970, 1972 and 1974. These have led to progress of the following kind. A report on licence sales and an estimate of total angler numbers by jurisdiction is now published annually. Cooperatively organized baseline surveys of angling have been carried out in four provinces. All sport fisheries agencies are cooperating in a mail survey of angling in 1975. All agencies are doing socio-economic studies, the results of which are distributed within Canada as well as on a select international basis by means of an information clearing-house service. Sport fisheries market research and an expansion of industry studies are now contemplated. Various kinds of inter-agency planning activities are also underway.
9. During the last intersessional period of EIFAC some studies on sport fisheries have been carried out in Finland. The studies include among others:
- evaluation of fish resources for sport fisheries
- cost aspects of sport fisheries (including licences, fishing gear, transportation, accommodation, etc.)
- analyses of commercial and sport fisheries, the purpose of which is to organize both of them on the same water areas.
None of these have been carried out on a national scale, they were restricted to a lake, a watercourse, etc. In addition, preparation of a longterm study programme for sport fisheries has been started.
10. Sport fisheries in France are carried out by 5 million anglers of whom 2.6 million pay their fishing licence. Three hundred and fifty thousand km of river banks are at their disposal; 14 000 km are public property and 275 000 km privately owned. Seventy five thousand ha of lakes and water-bodies and 50 000 ha of private ponds are likewise at their disposal. The anglers must belong to an association; there are 4 000 of these associations grouped in 92 departmental federations under the aegis of “Le Conseil Supérieur de la Pêche”, “Le Ministère de la Qualité de la Vie” supervises the fishing and controls the fishermen's associations. The anglers spend from F.F. 200 to 1 200 per year each and catch each on an average 5 kg of fish per year.
11. In Ireland, reports on the evaluation of sport and commercial fisheries have been published recently. In view of Ireland's potential for tourist angling two of the reports deal with the visiting and resident Irish anglers respectively. In addition, the Inland Fisheries Commission (1970) published its recommendations on the reorganization of the administration of the country's sport and commercial (salmon) fisheries. In Northern Ireland the Government has extended its development and management of stillwater fisheries to river (salmon, sea trout and brown trout) fisheries on the river systems of the Foyle and Bush. It is hoped that the long-awaited report by the Canadian experts on the management of the River Foyle Salmon Fishery will be published later this year. It is expected that apart from dealing with biological, ecological and economic problems related to this fishery, the report will make recommendations on the status of the sport fishery vis-à-vis the larger commercial fishery.
12. Sport fishing as a recreational activity is increasing in importance in the Netherlands. Nationwide research about angling was carried out in the Netherlands of which a summary was presented to the Consultation. General information about the development of sport fisheries in the Netherlands was also given. The results of research on sport fishing in Eastern Flevoland were discussed and some remarks about inquiries and research regarding angling in the Netherlands were made. A plea for integrating research in a dynamic system for planning facilities was made. It was ascertained that the planning of sport fishing facilities is becoming more and more an integrated part of physical planning in general. In the Netherlands, an increased cooperation between anglers associations has resulted in the creation of a national anglers association in 1975. Now, half of the anglers have a fishing licence allowing them to fish in a considerable number of larger water bodies.
13. In Poland, recent studies on sport fishing show that angling is increasingly becoming a more recognized form of recreational activity for ever larger groups of the population, and a subject of broad interest.
The number of anglers in Poland amounts to roughly 1.9 million, of which 0.5 million are members of the Polish Anglers' Association and roughly 1.1 million outside this organization. This constitutes about 4.7 percent of the total population.
Previous conflicts between commercial and recreational fisheries have, in recent years, become almost non-existant because of the satisfactory development of both activities. The fishery legislation currently introduced in Poland is aimed at regulating the numerous links between commercial and recreational fisheries, and at stimulating a sound development of the two fisheries. Important problems in this connexion which deserve further study are the elaboration of a model which would integrate the knowledge of needs and preferences of different types of anglers, with special reference to geographical and economic conditions, and an investigation into the economic aspects of the protection of water environment. Specific attention should in this respect be paid to the possibility of using economic values of sport fishery in cost/benefit calculations.
14. In Sweden in recent years several surveys have estimated the total number of anglers, their socio-economic characteristics, etc. Knowledge has been drawn from governmental surveys dealing with general leisure activity patterns, including data on sport fishing, as well as from special studies in the field of sport fisheries. The latter studies - most of them carried out in close cooperation between the National Board of Fisheries and the “Norling group” - have particularly focused on consumer aspects with reference to licenced anglers (preferences, motives, expenditures, barriers, economic and social values). Special studies have been devoted to problems caused by hydropower plants. For the future, a very urgent task is to extend the research programme to coastal waters. Resource aspects are covered in a national physical planning programme which includes extensive inventories, on a regional basis, designed to save specific valuable fishing waters from competitive use. A Government Commission is now reviewing fishery legislation in order to eliminate unnecessary obstacles to more and freer fishing.
15. The U.S.A. is involved in comprehensive long-range planning for both fresh- and salt-water sport and commercial fisheries. National surveys are serving as a major input into the planning processes. The national salt-water angling survey is carried out every five years since 1960. National surveys of fishing and hunting have been conducted since 1955. National statistics on commercial fisheries are collected and published annually. State agencies and universities supplement the national surveys with state and local surveys and are principally responsible for developing long-range comprehensive programmes. Fourteen states are presently developing their long-range programmes and plans. Analysis of specific resource problems and management alternatives are performed by university researchers with the assistance of State and Federal agencies.
16. Three multidisciplinary working groups were formed from the experts participating at the Consultation to study this item of the Agenda. Each group reported its findings to the Consultation and a synthesis of their reports was made. Problem areas and data needed to cope with these problems were enumerated as follows:
Problem areas
Future demand measurement
Potential supply inventory
Relation to other activities
Consequences for related facilities (e.g., hotels, transport)
Political and legal constraints
Sport-commercial fishery conflicts
International interests
Long-term, short-term planning
Consumer (fisherman) mobility
Budget constraints
Research methodology (in general)
Economic evaluation procedures
Social benefit evaluation procedures
Research and management organization
Management and evaluation concepts
Biological constraints
Data Needs
Number of fishermen (total)
Physical inventory (habitat)
Consumer (fisherman) characteristics
Consumer (fisherman) preferences
Alternative recreational activities
Institutionalization
Recreation days
Expenditure
Fishing quality data
Resource valuation (economics)
Effect on regional economic development
Capacity concepts and criteria (environmental capacity and perceptual capacity)
Typology of the sport fishermen
Potential resources
17. The need of national and international information receiving and dissemination centres was underlined and a programme to translate reports into languages useful to users of information with at least a summary in English was emphasized. Some participants felt that approaches, methods and problems would be further clarified if analysed with a model. This model is presented hereafter.
MODEL PRESENTATION OF PROBLEMS AND DATA NEEDS
| Components of Model | Brief Explanation of Component | Objectives | Problems | Data | Recommendations |
| Inputs | Consumer aspects | (Important but not relevant to this meeting) | Future demand | Physical habitat inventory | Develop comparable criteria |
| Potential supply | Total number of fishermen | ||||
| Resources aspects | |||||
| Activity structure | Consumer preferences | ||||
| Process | Constraints | Political issues | Alternative recreational activities (i.e., water uses) | Acquire information about process planning | |
| Biological issues | |||||
| Legal issues | |||||
Institutional structure determining resource policies | International issues | ||||
Sport, commercial use | Consumer characteristics | ||||
long-term, short-term planning | Institutional constraints | ||||
| Consumer mobility | |||||
| Output | Results of process of input use | Additional studies needed to identify output | Recreational days | Document distribution centre | |
Inventory of research interests | |||||
| Benefits | Social and economic benefits associated with output | Economic evaluation | Expenditure | ||
Social benefit evaluation | Fishing quality data | ||||
| Resource evaluation | |||||
| Evaluation | Evaluation of benefits | Organizations | Questionnaires or other sources | Develop comparability of evaluation procedure | |
| Methods | |||||
| Concepts |
18. The main document, SCF/75/7, by A.L.W. Tuomi, entitled “Fisheries Management Goals, Problems and Options”, deals conceptually with how Dr. Parzival Copes' paper (SCF/75/Inf. 5) related to the economic theory underlying commercial fisheries management could be adapted to recreational fisheries in a way which could provide an integrated basis for identifying, weighing and choosing management goals and programmes covering both sport and commercial fisheries.
It was generally agreed that the varying planning needs of all countries with respect to sport fisheries could be accommodated within the framework of goals and options outlined in the paper. It was equally recognized, however, that the problems of evaluation of social and economic benefits of sport fishing were not dealt with and remained as difficult as ever. A study in depth of the concepts outlined and of evaluation methodology was needed.
19. On the basis of the information contained in SCF/75/8, it was agreed that FAO be requested to enlarge the scope of the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Information System (ASFIS) to include relevant publications on the economic and social aspects of sport fisheries. The details of these arrangements should be discussed in Rome, between North American (U.S.A., Canada) experts and representatives of EIFAC and FAO immediately before the Ninth Session of EIFAC (7–15 June 1976). The second suggestion contained in SCF/75/8 concerns the international need for a clearing house service presently in existence in North America. It was felt that while such a function should preferably be carried out by FAO on a world basis, it would be preferable, for the immediate future, that the functions of the clearing house service now operated by Environment Canada be enlarged, to cover the needs of European countries. Specifically, it was recommended that it should provide this service for the 23 EIFAC countries in addition to the EIFAC Secretariat. A focal point in Europe will be decided upon for the onward distribution of North American and European material. European material intended for North American distribution will be sent in 25 copies to Environment Canada.
The details concerning the clearing house service should be discussed and finalized in Rome, at the same time as the discussion of an enlarged ASFIS, immediately before the Ninth Session of EIFAC. The conclusions of the Gothenburg Expert Consultation and of the Rome discussion on ASFIS and the clearing house service will be further discussed in Helsinki, Finland, during the Ninth Session of EIFAC.
20. Mention was made of various aspects of sport fisheries promotion and development in relation to tourism during the Consultation, but the subject was not covered as an agenda item as originally planned because of shortage of time.
Information and Documentation
21. Reference is made to paragraph 19 concerning the enlargement of ASFIS and of the Environment of Canada clearing house service. Reference is also made to paragraph 17 on the related topic of information distribution and translation of reports.
Research
22. In the field of research it was recommended:
that research be aimed at developing international comparability of resources criteria, basic concepts and evaluation procedures,
that multidimensional and interdisciplinary research be encouraged, covering both consumer, resources and organizational aspects,
that the socio-economic evaluation be developed and broadened to social, medical and ecological benefits,
that research be aimed at developing data useful for long-term planning in outdoor recreation.
23. It was emphasized by the Consultation that research must be developed in which consumer and resources aspects can be brought in equilibrium with particular reference to biological, physical, institutional and legal constraints in the different countries, and that it be developed on a comparable basis. Capacity concepts and criteria have to be formulated in which the recreational and environmental viewpoints are considered. Research should facilitate decision-making on competing water uses, for example, between industry and environment protection and between sport and commercial fishermen.
The Consultation made the following formal recommendation with respect to the holding of an international symposium on this subject.
Considering that the objectives of EIFAC are to promote improvements in inland fisheries and to advise Member Governments and FAO on inland fishery matters - realizing that improved management and development of sport fisheries is instrumental in bettering the conditions of rural and urban populations in promoting economic and social development, as well as the protection of the environment - and that fishing for leisure is now recognized as a large and important use of natural resources in developed countries and a potential foreign exchange earner in developing countries - realizing further that the beneficial development of leisure fisheries is seriously hampered by:
lack of basic data,
lack of methodology to evaluate its economic and social aspects,
slow transfer of known techniques and information on fishing management from advanced to less advanced countries,
serious conflicts in the alternative use of natural resources (water and land use conflicts, water pollution, degradation of the environment, use of hydro-electric power, etc.).
Recommends that FAO organize an international Symposium on inland fishery resources allocation for the following specific purposes:
to develop data, concepts, methodology and models for the economic and social evaluation of sport fishing,
to accelerate the transfer of all relevant evaluation and management techniques from countries having had a long experience in this field to other interested countries,
to encourage FAO Member Nations to protect and develop the wildlife resources and the related environment in the field of fisheries with respect to both social and economic benefits.
25. To implement this recommendation the Consultation proposed:
that all necessary measures be taken by FAO and the EIFAC Secretariat to interest the more advanced countries in this field in supporting technically and financially this International Symposium, and
that the organization of this Symposium should be started as soon as possible by a selected group of experts under the leadership of EIFAC and that it should be held in 1978.
26. While it was left to the Ninth Session of EIFAC to decide on the date and place of the next European Consultation, the participants felt that consultations should be held at two-year intervals in both Europe and North America and should be conveniently spaced to facilitate transfer of information between the two continents. It was suggested that known participants be canvassed for topics of concern to be discussed at future consultations, and that formal papers be solicitated on specific topics. It was further proposed that the meetings be rotated among various countries and be held near areas of fishery interest to the participants.
