APPENDIX C 



LOOE KEY ONSITE SURVEY 



A. Methodology 



In order to assess the costs and benefits of the various regulatory and 

 boundary alternatives considered in the DEIS to the major user groups at Looe 

 Key, the following steps were taken to: (1) identify the major user groups, 

 including commercial fishermen, commercial recreational businesses, tropical 

 fish collectors and individual recreational snorkelers, divers, fishermen and 

 others who use the Looe Key coral reef area, (2) review the literature to 

 determine the characteristics of these groups and the likely extent of their 

 activity at Looe Key, (3) measure the annual income directly generated by the users 

 of Looe Key through the use of onsite surveys, (4) measure the indirect effects 

 of the income generated by activity through regional multipliers, (5) examine 

 the existing and predicted socio-economic circumstances of the Lower Keys, and 

 (6) evaluate the results of the surveys and the onsite information in an 

 overall economic and demographic context. 



All income and catch information from commercial fishermen and income 

 from commercial recreational businesses of Looe Key were only available at the 

 County or Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area level. To obtain a more 

 accurate socio-economic picture of the Looe Key area, it was necessary to go 

 beyond published sources and conduct on onsite survey. 



Using published literature on the user groups and the expertise of Fisheries 

 Economists from the University of Florida, interview schedules were designed for 

 each of the major user groups, with the exception of the individual recreational 

 users who were too numerous and scattered to interview and count. 



Local organizations and key individuals were contacted in an effort to 

 locate as many of the actual users as possible. 



Finally, to get a broad picture of the stream of expenditures of such 

 diverse, and diffuse user groups, regional multipliers were used, in accordance 

 with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis methodology. 



The recreational value of the reef was determined by estimating the volume 

 (people) of reef use from information provided by the Survey, and the fair market 

 cost of such activity. These estimates were checked against other data sources 

 and found to be consistent. Although not often used, this method of valuation 

 of recreational activities is well established (Krutilla, 1975). 



Personal interviews were conducted in mid-October with users most likely 

 to be affected by the designation of Looe Key as a marine sanctuary. 



C-1 



