Relating population growth to shellfish bed closures: A case study from North Carolina

Abstract

Abstract Legislation passed during the 1970s provided an explicit recognition of both a national and local concern for regulating coastal zone development. Yet, data and methodologies which allow for the specific estimation of social and economic impacts of incremental coastal development are not readily available to policy‐makers and managers. This paper represents a first attempt to empirically address that problem. It analyzes data from two North Carolina coastal counties for a 27‐year period. During the period examined, population growth in the two counties was found to be accompanied by increased amounts of estuarine acreage closed to shellfishing as a result of the degradation of water quality, and decreased landings and exvessel values in the hard clam fishery. Regression was utilized to develop specific estimates of landings and value losses per 1,000‐person increase in the permanent population (as a proxy for total population). Other economic and social consequences are discussed as well. Follow‐...