152 



An entire complex of commerce and industry can rest upon one 

 primary producing industry such as commercial fishing, and figure 

 IV.3.1 illustrates in a very simple fashion some of the more direct 

 impacts of commercial fishing on the economy. Each time the basic 

 product changes hands it generates economic activity and gains in 

 value until by the time it reaches the ultimate consumer, its price may 

 be many times what the fisherman was paid for it. 



The effect of such value multiplier factors w^ill be such as to make 

 the actual values of specific commercial fisheries several times the 

 landed values such as those given in table IV.3.4 and table IV.3.5. 



Thus, the $438 million received by U.S. fishermen in 1967 probably 

 represents a total input to estuarine zone economic activity of over 

 $1 billion ; exactly how much it is impossible to say. Case studies dis- 

 cussed later in this chapter assign multiplier values of about three and 

 four to commercial fishery landing values, but the magnitudes of such 

 multipliers depend on the structure of the local economy as well as 

 on other factors and generalities are likely to be misleading. 



Consumption of both edible and industrial fish products continues 

 to increase, but the part of the consumption supplied by domestic 

 fishermen continues to decrease. Imports represented 82 percent of 

 the industrial fish supply and 53 percent of the edible fish supply in 

 1967. A primary cause of this loss of market is the inability to compete 

 economically with foreign fishing fleets using the most advanced 

 technology. Aquaculture is a potential means for correcting this condi- 

 tion, and, as such, represents a potential estuarine use of large but 

 indeterminate value. 



The relationship of the estuarine zone and commercial fishing cannot 

 be expressed by any simple economic index. This brief discussion shows 

 that the importance of commercial fishing in the estuarine zone is 

 related economically not only to estuarine habitat, but also to transpor- 

 tation, commerce, food processing, and aquaculture. 



RECREATION 



Recreation is the One major estuarine use that is directly and irre- 

 trievably related to individual people. It is a pursuit carried out strictly 

 on an individual choice basis and has as much variety as individuals 

 themselves have. Every estuarine system w^here there are people is 

 subject to recreational\use, whether it is of recreational quality or not. 



Wlien an estuarine system is of poor recreational quality, only those 

 people who cannot afford to go elsewhere will use it. When a system 

 is of acceptable quality, many local people will use it and it may even 

 attract some tourists from less-favored areas. When an estuarine system 

 is not only of acceptable quality but has other attractions such as beau- 

 tiful scenery or pleasant weather, recreation and tourism become major 

 commercial enterprises. 



Each kind of recreational use has its own economic impact. Recrea- 

 tional boating supports a large boatbuilding, marina, and boat repair 

 industry. Sport fishing supports not only a certain part of the boating 

 industries, but also a very specialized industry manufacturing and 

 selling fishing tackle. For example, the 1965 Survey of Fishing and 

 Hunting shows that salt water anglers spent $800 million in that 

 year. Sightseeing and swimming support motel and restaurant services 



