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Sport -fishing 



Saltwater sport fishing is an extremely popular use of Narragansett 

 Bay and adjacent waters. About 38 percent of boating time on Nar- 

 ragansett Bay and adjacent waters is allocated to sport fishing, and 

 there is considerable fishing from shore. This takes place primarily 

 in four types of areas : From bridges that cross streams feeding into 

 the Bay or connecting the Bay with other smaller estuaries ; from the 

 breakwaters on piers that jut out into Bay; along the rocky shoreline 

 in the southern part of the Bay; and the sandy beaches at the end 

 of the swimming season which coincides with the fall runs of bluefish 

 and striped bass. 



It is not possible to estimate the total expenditures for sport fisher- 

 men in Rhode Island, for no reliable data are available from which 

 to estimate their number. What is significant, however, is that a great 

 many people engage in it, and that it is a relatively low-cost outdoors 

 activity within the means of many. 



Waterfowl hunting 



In addition to commercial fisheries, Narragansett Bay is an impor- 

 tant feeding and resting area for migratory waterfowl. The Bay is 

 considered to be a relatively large unit of high quality migration and 

 wintering habitat. The major species using the area include many 

 highly desirable game birds. 



No formal data are available on the number of hunting trips that 

 were made annually by each purchaser of waterfowl stamps. Based 

 on data from other Northeastern States and considering the waterfowl 

 counts and hunting regulations, it is estimated that each hunter made 

 about 3.5 trips per year on the average. Bag checks by Rhode Island 

 conservation officers indicate an average kill of 0.56 birds per trip. For 

 1968 it is calculated that 2,507 hunters making 8,774 trips shot a total 

 of 4,900 birds. 



Sldn and scuba diving 



The popularity of this activity in Narragensett Bay has been greatly 

 enhanced by the natural advantages which are not present in the 

 adjacent coastal areas. The Bay's ocean front shoreline has some access 

 ways which permit diving and spearfishing directly from shore with- 

 out a boat. Most sport diving is conducted in waters shallower than 

 100 feet, and much of this area is within swimming distance of the 

 shore. The Bay also attracts many sport divers from outside the State. 



Seasonal residences 



The last category of recreational use is that of seasonal residences. 

 Seasonal residences are defined as those houses occupied generally for 

 recreational purposes for a part of the year. In Rhode Island, most, 

 if not all, seasonal residences are summer residences. Based on building 

 permits for 1961-65, it is estimated that in property tax revenue alone, 

 summer property approaches an annual value of $1 million. Although 

 the presence of summer residents increases the municipal service loads, 

 a significant absence here is provision for educational services, which 

 generally comprise about 70 percent of municipal costs. Also the ex- 

 penditures of the part-time residences stimulate employment and in- 

 come of these towns. Accordingly, the total income resulting from the 



