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Research Report: The Economic Impact of Game and Coarse Angling in Scotland

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Economic Impact of Game and Coarse Angling in Scotland

Alan Radford, Geoff Riddington, John Anderson, Glasgow Caledonian University

Hervey Gibson, Cogentsi Research International Ltd

This Executive Summary presents the principal results of a study to assess the economic impact of game and coarse angling in Scotland. The Research Report provides more detail and a greater level of disaggregation, whereas the Technical Report should be consulted for full details of all aspects of the research process and results.

1. BACKGROUND

In August 2001, the Green Paper, Scotland'sFreshwater Fish and Fisheries: Securing Their Future, pointed to the lack of useful data quantifying the economic position of fresh water angling, whether on a national or a regional basis. Against this background, the Scottish Executive contracted the consultants to estimate the economic contribution to Scotland of fresh water angling. The principal aim was to analyse the impact of angler expenditure on output income and employment. Separate impact estimates were to be produced for each of seven regions (Dumfries and Galloway, Borders, Highlands, North East Scotland, Central Scotland, Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland) and for each of four types of angling (Salmon and Sea Trout, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout and Coarse Fish). In addition to these 28 region/fishery combinations, estimates were also to be produced for Scotland as a whole.

2. RESEARCH METHOD

There were three key elements of the research activity.

2.1 Construction of Fisheries Data Base

Extensive surveys of fishery owners enabled the construction of a database containing details of 2830 brown trout, rainbow trout and coarse fisheries, plus salmon and sea trout fisheries on a river-by-river basis. From the database, it is possible to aggregate individual details to provide estimates of angler fishing effort (measured in angler days) for Scotland as a whole, or for four fishing types, or for seven regions. For salmon and sea trout fisheries, estimates are available on a river-by-river basis. Other fisheries can be aggregated by Unitary Authority area or any other geographical boundary. The database also provides a breakdown of angler effort according to angler origins (e.g. total angler days by local anglers, Scottish visiting anglers, non-Scottish visiting anglers).

2.2 Construction of Angler Data Base

Extensive surveys of anglers resulted in a database containing details of over 3000 cases detailing locations of angling, home, species, expenditure and constituents of that expenditure. The database also incorporates a substitution analysis that provides information on angler responses if a particular region/fishery type were not available and the consequential impact on their expenditure.

2.3 Economic Impact Analysis

The seven regional economies were modelled using an approach that utilised specific models for angling. The regional models incorporate trade matrices between 53 regions ¹ for the128 individual Standard Industrial Classification categories consistent with known published information and the technical coefficients derived from the Scottish Input-Output Tables. For each region/fishery combination, the models can estimate the impact of angler expenditure on income, output and employment at the regional, Scottish and UK levels. Moreover, these effects can be disaggregated by local angler expenditure, by visiting Scottish angler expenditure and by non-Scottish angler expenditure.

3. THE REGIONAL IMPACT OF ANGLING: PRINCIPAL RESULTS

From the angler database, the following distribution of angler effort by region and by species is given in Table 1.

The three most important regions are Highlands, North East and Central Scotland. The region receiving the greatest angler effort is Central Scotland, in part due to the amount of rainbow trout angling in this region. Across Scotland, in terms of angler effort, salmon and sea trout angling is the most important type of angling and is the largest fishery in Dumfries and Galloway, the Borders, Highland and the North East.

Total angler expenditure was estimated by using the fisheries database to scale angler daily expenditure estimates. From Table 2 below, it is estimated that anglers spend a total of 113million on angling in Scotland, with salmon and sea trout anglers accounting for over 65% (73m) of this total.

The substitution analysis was used to estimate the expenditure lost to each region if a particular type of angling ceased to exist. This is given in Table 3 below.

Each cell in the Table 3 reflects the regional expenditure that would be lost, in circumstances where other types of angling are still available in the region, and the first choice type of angling is still available in other Scottish regions. For example, from Table 3, it can be seen that 20.7m of expenditure would be lost in the Highland region if salmon and sea trout fishing were to cease.

Tracking the above estimated expenditure changes through the models of the regional economy, produces the following estimated impact on regional output (Table 4) regional income (Table 5) and regional employment (Table 6).

Table 4 informs us that if salmon angling in the Highland region ceased, the 20.7m loss in angler expenditure (see Table 3) would reduce Highland output by 24.6. This fall in output would in turn reduce annual household income in the Highlands by 12.5m (Table 5) and employment by 781 full time equivalent jobs (Table 6).

4 THE SCOTTISH IMPACT OF ANGLING: PRINCIPAL RESULTS:

The angler substitution analysis reveals how angler expenditure would change in circumstances where other types of angling are still available in the region, and the first choice type of angling is still available in other Scottish regions. Unfortunately, the angler questionnaires could not accommodate questions about angler alternatives if a type of angling ceased throughout Scotland, or indeed if all forms of angling ceased in Scotland. The estimation of Scottish level impacts therefore had to rely on making assumptions and distinctions between locals and visitors to Scotland. Table 7 below, provides estimates of spending by local anglers (from within the fishery region) Scottish visiting anglers (from Scotland but out-with the fishery region) and non-Scottish visiting anglers (other parts of the UK plus overseas)

The first rows in Tables 8, 9 and 10 are based on the assumption that all Scottish anglers continue to fish in Scotland whilst all non-Scottish visitors leave when they cannot fish the region/fishery combination they want. This will result in a loss of 58.9m of expenditure in the Scottish economy. The assumption that no Scottish angler will go elsewhere to fish is too strong. It was therefore assumed that those Scottish anglers already visiting other regions for their fishing (Scottish visiting anglers) would take 50% of their expenditure elsewhere outside Scotland. This amounts to 8.4m of lost expenditure. The combined effects of this lost expenditure (67.3m) on Scottish output, income and employment are shown in the second rows of Tables 8, 9 and 10.

The best estimate therefore is that freshwater angling in Scotland results in the Scottish economy producing over 100m worth of annual output, which support around 2,800 jobs and generates nearly 50m in wages and self-employment income to Scottish households. This is a significant contribution and it should be appreciated that salmon and sea trout angling has probably provided its annual contribution for most of the last century.

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