UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- If the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, as expected, stocks fewer trout in the state's waterways this year, it could lead to a decrease in the sales of revenue-generating fishing licenses and stamps.

That's one conclusion of a Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences study that explored the relationship between stocking rates, fishing participation, fees and license sales. The research report was authored by Richard Ready, assistant professor of agricultural economics, Donald Epp, professor of agricultural and environmental economics and Willard Delevan, graduate assistant in agricultural economics.

Conducted under contract with the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, the study incorporated surveys of trout anglers, previous research projects and statistical analysis of license sales and stocking data.

The commission is using the report to help guide decision-making as the agency reviews its programs and addresses mounting fiscal needs. Early in 2001, the agency announced that water quality and quantity problems within its hatchery system would require a decrease in the number of trout stocked.

Beginning this year, state hatcheries will produce about 28 percent fewer adult trout than they have for the last two decades. Recently, the commission has been warning sportsmen, legislators and the public about a license increase that could raise as much as $5.3 million annually to support fish management, education, habitat improvement, non-game species management and stocking.

If approved by the Legislature, the new license fees could take effect no earlier than 2003.

Meanwhile, the commission continues to explore funding options to address a multi-million-dollar backlog in major projects needed at hatcheries, dams and public access areas.

"Our report focused on three important questions," explains Ready. "We know the Fish & Boat Commission will be stocking significantly fewer trout. How will anglers react? How many fewer fishing licenses will be sold? And are anglers willing to pay higher fees to maintain the services from the commission?"

Key among the findings suggested by the Penn State report is an estimate, based on a survey of current trout anglers, that decreased stocking in 2002 may cause a 3.7 percent drop in resident fishing license sales and a 12.5 percent drop in trout/salmon stamp sales.

Because the commission's programs are funded by the revenues generated by license sales and not general tax dollars, decreased sales translate directly into reduced operating money for agency programs. Moreover, a decline in fishing participation has other implications for the state's overall economy.

The 18.6 million fishing trips typically taken in Pennsylvania each year support more than 16,000 jobs, generate about $50 million in state general fund tax revenues and provide an overall economic stimulus of some $1.34 billion, according to the Fish & Boat Commission.

A major portion of the study was based on a statistically valid telephone survey of anglers to collect opinion data. Some 77 percent of trout anglers surveyed at random said they are currently either very satisfied (37 percent) or satisfied (40 percent) with trout fishing in Pennsylvania.

Respondents were then asked to rate their anticipated satisfaction with trout fishing in Pennsylvania. They were given a range of stocking reductions; more than half said stocking reductions would decrease their overall satisfaction.

The report's authors say these results indicate that anglers are clearly less optimistic about the number of days they would fish in 2002 due to trout stocking reductions. However, they stress that care must be taken in interpreting exactly how much impact a reduction in trout stocking will have.

"While we cannot project how many fewer angler days will occur if trout stocking levels decline, we can expect a decline in angling activity related to reduced stocking," Ready says.

Although the survey of current trout anglers did suggest that a decline in trout stocking would lead to decreased angling participation, analysis of historical data has not shown a clear relationship between the number of trout stocked and fishing license sales.

Because the number of trout stocked in Pennsylvania has increased steadily over the last 30 years, the historical data contain no real precedent to gauge the impact that a stocking decrease might have on license sales. Studies conducted in Colorado and California have shown no clear statistical relationship between the number of trout stocked and license sales.

Anglers overwhelmingly (more than 90 percent) said that they are willing to pay something more to avoid a further reduction in stocking. As one would suspect, though, support levels depend on the amount of fee increases and the overall stocking reduction that would occur.

Fewer anglers would support a large increase in fees when faced with only a small decrease in stocking. Conversely, more anglers are supportive of a small increase to prevent a large stocking reduction.

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EDITORS: Richard Ready can be reached at 814-863-5575; Donald Epp at 814-863-2468.

Contact:

Jeff Mulhollem jjm29@psu.edu 814-863-2719 814-865-1068 fax