Objective 3: To estimate the economic value of the Indiana component of the fishery, all respondents recruited from the Indiana creel survey were used. For each expenditure item on the questionnaire, the average expenditures for boat anglers and pedestrian anglers were calculated separately. The average was then multiplied by the total number of trips, as estimated by the Indiana creel survey (Dickinson 2017). These totals were input into IMPLAN, and the economic impact was modeled. Using the same methods, but including all survey respondents, the economic impact of the entire Illinois and Indiana fishery was estimated. Several components of the combined Illinois and Indiana fishery were also modeled, again using all survey respondents. To assess the economic value of the boat and pedestrian fisheries, the average expenditures for all boat anglers and for all pedestrian anglers were each calculated, multiplied by the total number of trips, and input into IMPLAN. To assess the species-specific fisheries, the anglers were first divided into groups based on the species they reported targeting most often. Anglers targeting salmon or trout species were termed “salmonid anglers,” anglers targeting yellow perch were termed “perch anglers”, and anglers targeting bass, drum, or other species were termed “minor species anglers.” For each of these three groups, average expenditures were calculated separately for boat and pedestrian anglers, before being multiplied by the total number of days fished for that angler subgroup, as estimated by the creel surveys, and input into IMPLAN for economic modeling. Results Objective 1: During the Illinois creel survey, 1632 anglers were intercepted, and 616 (37.7%) agreed to provide contact information. Of those anglers, 168 (27.3%) completed the survey, including responses to the economic questions, and were included in this study. Pedestrian anglers made up 57 (34%) of these respondents, and boating anglers made up 111 (66%). Pedestrian and boating anglers were estimated to take roughly the same number of trips, but expenditures for boating anglers were much higher (Table 1.2). For pedestrian anglers, the largest proportion of expenditures were for car fuel (17.18%), while for boat anglers, the largest proportion went to boat purchase and maintenance (21.03%), and boat fuel (11.21%), corresponding to the additional needs of boating anglers (Table 1.2). For all anglers, other large expenditure categories were guide fees (9.76%), groceries (7.08%), lodging (6.53%), and meals (5.35%). The estimated total output of the Illinois Lake Michigan recreational fishery was $22,452,805 (Table 3). Taxes attributed to Lake Michigan recreational fishing in Illinois (considering direct, indirect, and induced effects) were $974,510 in local taxes, $738,790 in state taxes, and $2,110,219 in federal taxes. Effects on other sectors of the local economy were most pronounced in the amusement and recreation sector and sporting goods retail sector, with additional benefits seen in various sectors related to travel and tourism (Table 1.3). Objective 1b: Anglers spent approximately $8,752,681 on charter fishing trips with the majority of those expenditures (69%) being charter guide fees (Table 1.4). These expenditures resulted in an economic output of $22,452,805 and generated 232 jobs (Table 1.5). Objective 2: The mail/internet survey estimates of major expenditures were similar to those of the creel survey, but the estimate for minor expenditures was much higher (Table 2.1). The fuel expenditure estimate based on distance driven was similar for both survey types, but much lower than the estimate produced by asking anglers to report their fuel expenditures (Table 2.1). The mail/internet estimation was higher for pedestrian anglers in all categories, capturing those anglers that may also spend time and money on angling from boats (Table 2.2). For boating anglers, the mail/internet and creel estimates were closer, but much higher with the mail/internet survey for total minor expenditures (Table 2.2). Objective 3: Indiana anglers took an estimated 51,389 fishing trips during the 2015 fishing season, spending a total of $18,185,320 (Table 3.5). These expenditures resulted in an economic output of $12,740,889 (Table 3.1). Total number of trips and total expenditures were smaller in Indiana than in Illinois. Combining all fishing trips taken in the Illinois and Indiana Lake Michigan fisheries, the total estimated expenditures were $50,861,064 (Table 3.5) The Illinois and Indiana fisheries combined economic output was estimated at $44,431,774, providing a total of 470 jobs (Table 3.2). Boating anglers had higher average trip expenditures (Table 3.4), as well as a greater number of trips (Table 3.5), resulting in a greater economic impact than pedestrian anglers (Table 3.3). The majority of angler trips (71.3%) were for salmonid fishing, therefore salmonid anglers were responsible for the majority of the economic output (75%). The yellow perch fishery had the lowest angling activity, with 15,640 trips, resulting in $3,092,669 total expenditures (Table 3.5), and the lowest economic output (Table 3.3). Conclusions This study provided a detailed analysis of the economic impacts of recreational fishing in the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan, including estimates of trip and season expenditures, and direct, indirect, and induced effects on the local economy. The expenditure results for Illinois anglers reveal some information about angler behavior. For example, the fact that some expenditures for launch fees and boats are present in the pedestrian angler category reflects that some anglers who spend most of their time fishing from shore also partake in boat fishing trips. The impact of the fishery on economic sectors reveals additional stakeholders in the fishery, including some that are not directly related to fishing, such as travel and tourism. The estimated impact of the Illinois charter fishing component was close to that of the non-charter Illinois fishery. Due to the low number of charter anglers included in this study, a more complex analysis of the charter fishery could not be conducted, but is an important avenue for future research. The comparison between the creel estimations and the mail/internet survey estimations suggest that creel estimations are relatively reliable. The fuel estimation determined by the question that directly asked for expenditures was much greater than the estimation calculated from miles driven. There are a number of possibilities for this distinction, such as the possibility that anglers are using less fuel-efficient vehicles (e.g. trucks) than are reflected in the mileage estimate, or that they may have included other car-related expenditures in addition to gas. One possibility is that anglers recorded the cost of a full tank of gas, even if they didn’t require a full tank to reach their fishing site. In that case, if the goal is to determine the gas expenditures that are directly related to the fishing trip, mileage estimates may be more accurate. The impact of the Indiana fishery is seemingly smaller than that of Illinois, but these cannot be directly compared because it is the impact on their own local economies, at the county level. In combined fisheries, boating trips resulted in much higher expenditures than pedestrian trips, which is expected, due to the additional costs associated with boating, including boat fuel and launch or mooring fees. Salmonid angling trips also resulted in much higher expenditures and impact than the other fishery components, which is related to the much higher number of fishing trips these anglers took during 2015. A close examination of the expenditures by each angling group in each category may help to inform management, as well as local industries, as they aim to meet angler needs. Though the methods used in this study are applicable to a wide range of similar fisheries, the economic impacts described by this study are specific to the Illinois and Indiana waters of Lake Michigan and should not be generalized to represent other fisheries.
