The Value of Recreational Inshore Marine Fishing

The relative values of New Zealand commercial and recreational marine fishing are unknown. Value transfer is applied to assess the likely value of inshore marine recreational fishing. The few relevant studies available report widely differing estimates of value. However, there is sufficient evidence to indicate that the value of recreational fishing is of the same order of magnitude as commercial fishing.Value transfer, recreational fishing, Environmental Economics and Policy,

Dichotomous choice contingent valuation probability distributions

Parametric distributions applied to dichotomous choice contingent valuation data invoke assumptions about the distribution of willingness to pay that may contravene economic theory. This article develops and applies distributions that allow the shape of bid distributions to vary. Alternative distributions provide little, if any, improvement in statistical fit from commonly used distributions. While median willingness to pay is largely invariant to distribution, estimates of mean consumer surplus diverge widely. Sensitivity analysis to determine benefit measure response to distributional assumptions is essential to prevent erroneous policy advice from applied dichotomous choice research.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Extra-market values and water management in New Zealand

Efficient water management requires information on the magnitudes of all values associated with water volumes and quality, both in-situ and in extractive uses. This paper reviews and summarises New Zealand research into extra-market values placed on water. Studies have addressed issues as diverse as maintenance of ground water and instream flows, the value of recreational activities, and the quality of household water supplies. Results indicate that people place high values on avoiding further degradation of the natural environment, and in-situ values can have a significant role in water allocation efficiency despite high consumptive values of water.Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Fishing for Understanding: A Mixed Logit Model of Freshwater Angler Preferences

Freshwater fisheries management requires knowledge of not only the resource but angler preferences and the extent to which preferences vary. This paper reports results from an internet-based stated preference survey of anglers in the North Canterbury region. Discrete choice models are used to investigate how the quality of fishery attributes impact anglers’ selection of fishing sites. The models reveal significant preference heterogeneity between anglers for particular fishing site attributes. Furthermore, anglers’ preference intensities for identical attributes vary between sites. Consequently, efficient allocation of resources entails spatial and social components.discrete choice analysis, latent class, mixed logit, angler heterogeneity, New Zealand recreational trout fisheries, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Benefit Transfer: Choice Experiment Results

Benefit transfer entails using estimates of non-market values derived at one site as approximations to benefits at other sites. The method finds favour because it can be applied quickly and cheaply, however the validity of benefit transfer is frequently questioned. Published studies generally indicate that errors from the approach can be extremely large and could result in significant resource misallocations. Assessing the validity of benefit transfer is complicated by differences in the nature of study and policy sites, the changes being valued, valuation methods, time of study, availability of substitutes and complements, and demographic, social and cultural differences. A choice experiment was used to evaluate the transferability of benefit estimates for identical goods between two different populations. The study design allowed most of the confounding factors to be controlled, so provides a strong test of benefit transfer validity. Several different tests were applied to evaluate benefit transfer validity, with conflicting results. The paper investigates the merits of the alternative tests and concludes that utility functions were different for the two populations.Choice model, Choice experiment, Benefit transfer, Mitigation, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Financial Economics, Land Economics/Use, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Efficient design for willingness to pay in choice experiments: evidence from the field

Efficient experimental designs offer the potential to reduce confidence intervals for parameters of interest in choice models, or to reduce required sample sizes. C-efficiency recognizes the salience of willingness to pay estimates rather than utility function parameters. This study reports on a choice model application that incorporated updated statistical designs based on initial responses in order to maximize C-efficiency. The revised design delivered significant improvements.experimental design, choice experiment, efficiency, Environmental Economics and Policy, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Multiplatform Public Service Broadcasting: The Economic and Cultural Role of UK Digital and TV Independents

In this report, produced as part of a two-year Arts & Humanities Research Council project (AH-H0185622-2) on ‘multiplatform public service broadcasting’, focusing on factual/specialist factual as a case study, we detail the role independent production companies play in PSB. We set out how PSB informs the production cultures of independent companies, the tensions that are experienced between profit and public service and the impact multiplatform commissioning and production practices have had on the sector

Public Perceptions of New Zealand's Environment

Beginning in 2000 Lincoln University has completed biennial surveys of people's perceptions of the state of the New Zealand environment. The surveys use the Pressure-State-Response framework for state of the environment reporting to assess resources such as air quality, native plants and animals, native forest and bush, soils, beaches and coastal waters, marine fisheries, marine reserves, freshwaters, national parks, wetlands, urban environments, and the natural environment compared to other developed nations. They also examine participation in environmentally friendly activities, the most important environmental issues facing New Zealanders and a range of other issues. Individual case studies are also undertaken: in 2000 natural hazards; in 2002 the coastal marine environment, marine recreational fishing and preferences for expenditure on environmental matters; in 2004 freshwater and recreational angling; in 2006 transport and policies to internalise transport externalities. This paper reviews this research programme and its contribution to understanding state of the New Zealand environment and its management.Public perceptions, environment, survey, New Zealand, Environmental Economics and Policy,

New Zealand freshwater management and agricultural impacts

In New Zealand, it is increasingly recognised, including by government, that water resource allocation and water quality are issues of national importance. Agriculture is frequently portrayed by public media as a major user of water and a major contributor to worsening water quality. We outline the water management systems in New Zealand, and the use of water by agriculture. Official reports on agriculture’s impact on New Zealand water availability and quality are summarised. We report how the New Zealand public perceive water, its management, and the roles of agriculture in water issues. Data from a nationwide mail survey were analysed to determine how New Zealanders assess the state of New Zealand lakes, rivers and streams, and aquifers, the performance of three agencies responsible for management of freshwater resources, and willingness to fund stream enhancement. We provide brief explanations for the failures of water resource management in New Zealand and report on options, including community-based responses that might address some of the mounting public, scientific, and government concerns about trends in water quantity and quality. A willingness to pay proposition, concerning riparian areas, included in the nationwide survey provides some evidence that the public are willing to pay for improved waterway management. Relevant non-market valuation studies also indicate that the public places considerable value on preservation values of water in New Zealand.agriculture, environmental economics, perceptions survey, water allocation, water quality, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Stated Preference Evaluation of Government Budgets

Stated preference approaches are widely used in non-market valuation. However, their potential uses extend far beyond valuation. In particular they can be used to assess efficiency of resource allocations and to design optimal resource allocations. Changes to the government budget were evaluated using a choice experiment. Results indicate potential efficiency gains from reallocation of the budget to items with higher marginal utility. In particular, New Zealand residents want more spending on health, education and the environment, with health spending consistently having the highest marginal benefits. People want less government money spent on income support. The choice experiment was able to identify the impacts of demographic factors. Young people rated spending on the environment and education more highly than other respondents.Choice experiment, public preferences, government budget, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Consumer/Household Economics, Environmental Economics and Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Health Economics and Policy, Political Economy, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,