Implications of Not Meeting Demands 

 for Wildlife and Fish Resources 



It seems clear that demands for wildlife and fish 

 resources are likely to increase in the decades ahead. 

 While the ability to predict future supplies of these 

 resources is limited, continuing losses and degrada- 

 tion of habitats suggest that even maintaining some 

 present population levels will be difficult. To the 

 extent that demands for wildlife and fish are not met, 

 there will be a reduction in some of the values that 

 might have been realized from these resources. The 

 major kinds of direct and derived values associated 

 with these resources are summarized in table 4.16. 



Pacific salmon currently are the basis for the 

 employment of both commercial fishermen and 

 employees in shore-based fish processing plants. Any 

 reduction in current harvests would lead to losses in 

 these jobs and to locally severe economic conse- 

 quences in fishing communities in Alaska and the 

 Northwest. Steadily increasing market prices for sal- 

 mon products suggest that increases in salmon popu- 

 lations would result in income and employment 

 above current levels. 



Trapping most commonly provides supplemental 

 income to rural residents. A reduction in the oppor- 

 tunity to harvest furbearers would result in losses of 

 some income to many individuals across the Nation. 



Unless action is taken to increase supplies, there will be intensifying competition and 

 less satisfying opportunities for outdoor recreation based on wildlife and fish resources. 



131 



