Recreational Impact of Species Composition

Many native trout reintroduction programs and non-native trout suppression programs are being sold to the public on the grounds that these programs mean that anglers can catch more and bigger fish. Most studies of recreational demand lump all species within a category of fish into a single species—for example, lumping rainbow, brook and bull trout are simply categorized as 'trout.' This study disaggregates the effects of individual species on recreational demand. In particular, it investigates phenomena such as the presence of bull trout in a stream causing anglers to shy away from that stream, even though they might be able to catch more and bigger fish. From a conservation standpoint, this may be a good thing since bull trout may have a greater chance at survival, but it may be detrimental from a recreational standpoint.