Hybrid choice modeling offers an interdisciplinary perspective on angler preferences for the future

Abstract

Angler decisions are shaped by an interplay between ‘internal’ psychological processes and ‘external’ institutional factors that are equally important yet often evaluated in isolation. We therefore developed a hybrid choice model whereby a structural equation model of behavioral antecedents was integrated with a discrete choice experiment to evaluate competing preferences for fisheries management scenarios across the Great Lakes region. We observed that preferences for native fish populations, invasive species impacts, wash station availability, habitat quality, and added cost per fishing trip were rooted in nature-based (i.e., biospheric) and self-driven (i.e., egoistic) values. Feelings of moral obligation and beliefs that an individual could make a difference were correlated with values, but not with preferences. Willingness to pay for a preferred future differed by fishing mode, in that boaters were more sensitive to cost than shoreline or mixed-mode users. Preferences also varied by age, in that younger anglers were more open to change. This study showcases an interdisciplinary methodological approach that builds more complete knowledge of the interrelationships between psychological and institutional factors that underpin angler decision-making.