30. Peters, D.S., D.W. Ahrenholz, and T.R. Rice. 1978. Harvest and value of 

 wetland associated fish and shellfish. Pages 606-617 in P.E. Greeson, 

 J.R. Clark, and J.E. Clark, eds. Wetland functions and values: the state 

 of our understanding. Proceedings of a national symposium on wetlands. 

 Various Federal agencies and the American Water Resources Association, 

 Minneapolis, MN. 



The areal extent of a forest is a limiting factor in the production of 

 lumber or other wood products. The quantity of aquatic or wetland habitat may 

 or may not be a limiting factor in the production of important finfish or 

 shellfish species. Precise quantitative estimates of the social benefits 

 conferred by wetlands habitat are very difficult to obtain, since no data on the 

 marginal contribution of wetlands habitat to fisheries yields is available for 

 many of the important target species and many of the important wetlands habitats. 



Other important difficulties in assessing the social contribution of 

 wetlands to fisheries production arise from problems of measuring habitat; areal 

 extent of wetlands may not be the only useful measure of wetlands habitat, and 

 other habitat variables (e.g., factors relating to ph, water temperature, and 

 salinity in estuarine zones for anadromous species) may limit production even 

 though there is an abundance of wetland areas for fisheries production. 

 Moreover, some species make only marginal use of wetlands, while others are 

 completely dependent on wetlands habitat for completion of the life cycle. All 

 freshwater fishing is considered to be wetland dependent, but not all saltwater 

 fishing. 



Wetland-associated species include marine, anadromous, and freshwater 

 species. The authors of this paper include seven species in the freshwater 

 group, including sunfishes, buffalo, catfishes, perches, and trout. Salmon, 

 striped bass, shad, and alewife compose the anadromous group. Saltwater species 

 include 13 finfish and shellfish groups, including bluefish, drum, fluke, 

 seatrout, menhaden, mullet, blue crab, oysters, and shrimp. The total ex-vessel 

 value of the 1976 commercial harvest of wetland-associated finfish and shellfish 

 species was $700 million. The volume of the 1976 landings is not reported in 

 the paper, but in 1974 the total menhaden harvest for the Nation was 1.35 million 

 tons, while the total commercial harvest of all other estuarine wetland-dependent 

 species (finfishes plus shellfish) was 1,127 million pounds. The areal extent 

 of estuarine wetland habitat was 15,800 square miles. The catch per unit of 

 estuarine habitat varied from a regional low value of 170 pounds per acre for 

 the south Atlantic states, to a high of 1,253 pounds per acre for New England. 



The paper also offers some fascinating data on the volume and value of 

 recreational fishing. The number of freshwater angler participation days 

 increased steadily during the 1955-1975 period. In 1955, there were 339 million 

 angler days; in 1975, there were 1,275 million angler days. The percentage 

 increase in saltwater angling participation levels (412%) was even greater than 

 the 376% increase recorded for freshwater angling participation levels during 

 this 20-year interval. In 1955, there were 59 million saltwater angling days; 

 by 1975, there were 243 million angling days. However, Peters et al . indicate 

 that the data may not be comparable for the entire period due to shifts in the 

 extent of coverage for the 1975 data. Also, the data underestimate the economic 

 significance of saltwater recreational fishing because recreational shellfishing 



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