On the Economics of an Atlantic Salmon Recreational Fishery

Abstract

This thesis includes four essays on the management of wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). The main focus is on the management of the recreational fishery; thus, the focus is on salmon in the rivers, where anglers buy fishing permits from landowners in order to fish for salmon. However, because there are many important events influencing salmon in the marine environment, marine fishing of salmon and aquaculture are also included exogenously in the models. The issues considered range from pure bioeconomic modelling of management regimes, bioeconomic modelling of invasive species interacting with native species, game theory aspects regarding side payments from riparian to marine right holders, and more specific analyses of components in the demand function for angling experiences. The first three chapters contain theoretical bioeconomic modelling illustrated by numerical simulations. The final chapter is mainly empirical reporting results from a contingent valuation survey that was a part of the project.