12 Valuing large marine ecosystem fishery losses because of disposal of sediments: A case study

Abstract

Disposal is an economic and environmental concern. Marine disposal can cause losses species through physical smothering, adverse effects of sediment plumes etc. Both direct losses (smothering) and indirect losses through the food web could occur. This chapter examines how governance decisions concerning marine disposal might be enhanced using economic information concerning the costs to fisheries because of marine disposal. The costs to fisheries at alternative marine disposal sites are examined, using dredging scheduled for the Providence River and Harbor as a case study. Costs to commercial and recreational fisheries using the methods and data are presented in the chapter. The chapter estimates the incremental costs to commercial and recreational fisheries in the Northeast large marine ecosystem (LME) from marine disposal of sediments from dredging of the Providence River and Harbor. The losses considered are the lost annual value (economic rent) in commercial fisheries and the lost annual user benefits (consumer surplus) to recreational anglers. The annual losses are measured over the period from mortality because of disposal through the time to recovery of the harmed resources. Specific incremental costs of marine disposal to commercial and recreational fisheries considered in the chapter are those because of short-term, long-term, and indirect effects. A cohort-type, bio-economic model is used. To implement the model, data is drawn from several sources. There are details on the concepts and methods—economic value, measurement of changes in value of fisheries because of dredged material disposal—overview of bioeconomic model and data—sources and abundance. Using the model, data, and assumptions outlined, estimates of the annual lost commercial and recreational catch for each potential site are derived. These results are considered the “base case.” The chapter provides a conceptual framework for estimating losses to fisheries and a case study, information that can contribute to selecting between different marine sites for disposal.