https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8960-7236
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David W Carter, Sabrina Lovell, David Records, Christopher Liese, A comparison of recreational fishing demand estimates from a mail-push-incentive versus email-only sampling strategy: Evidence from a survey of Gulf of America anglers, North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 2025;, vqae004, https://doi.org/10.1093/najfmt/vqae004
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ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to compare estimates of recreational fishing demand and economic value obtained from two different survey-sampling strategies, an email-only approach and a mail-push strategy using monetary incentives.
Gulf of America (also known as Gulf of Mexico) anglers were surveyed about their fishing behavior and responses to hypothetical changes in costs and regulations for Gag Grouper Mycteroperca microlepis using either an email-only or mail-push-incentive (MPI) approach. Response rates, sample characteristics, and estimates from a recreational fishing trip demand model were compared between the two sampling strategies.
The MPI strategy achieved a substantially higher response rate (43% versus 20%). The email-only respondents tended to be younger and report higher incomes on average. However, the demand model parameter estimates and measures of economic value were statistically indistinguishable between the two sampling approaches. The cost per completed survey was approximately 10 times as great for the MPI approach.
Despite differences in response rates and some demographic characteristics, the email-only approach provided statistical estimates of recreational fishing demand and economic value that were similar to those that were obtained with the more expensive mail-push strategy. This suggests that the less costly email-only approach can provide valid estimates for this type of survey, but further research is needed before generalizing to other contexts.
Lay Summary
This study shows that less expensive email surveys can provide reliable estimates of recreational fishing value, potentially saving taxpayer money while still informing policy decisions that affect coastal economies and marine conservation efforts in the Gulf of America.
