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The Benefits and Costs of Fish Consumption Advisories for Mercury

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  • Krupnick, Alan

    (Resources for the Future)

  • McGuinness, Meghan
  • Jakus, Paul

Abstract

Mercury contamination of the Chesapeake Bay is a concern to health authorities in the region. We evaluate the economic and health effects of postulated recreational and commercial fishing advisories for striped bass on the Maryland portion of the bay. Awareness of and response to the advisory is estimated using a meta-analysis of the literature. Three values are estimated: welfare losses to recreational anglers, welfare losses in the commercial striped bass fishery, and health benefits. An estimate of percentage of consumer surplus loss is applied to the value of all fishing days in the bay to estimate recreational welfare loss. Welfare losses to the commercial fishery are estimated based on a model of supply and demand. Health benefits are estimated using estimated exposure and epidemiological relationships, and while potentially large, are highly uncertain. Results also suggest most individuals are below advisory standards ex ante, such that advisories should target high-frequency consumers.

Suggested Citation

  • Krupnick, Alan & McGuinness, Meghan & Jakus, Paul, 2002. "The Benefits and Costs of Fish Consumption Advisories for Mercury," RFF Working Paper Series dp-02-55, Resources for the Future.
    • Handle: RePEc:rff:dpaper:dp-02-55
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Shimshack, Jay P. & Ward, Michael B. & Beatty, Timothy K.M., 2007. "Mercury advisories: Information, education, and fish consumption," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 158-179, March.
    2. Alexandra Erhardt & Carlos Rezende & Brian Walker & Dina Franceschi & David Downie, 2015. "Mercury concentrations and awareness in Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil: baseline measures for examining the efficacy of the Minamata Convention," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 5(4), pages 517-525, December.
    3. Willson, Tina M. & Kazmierczak, Richard F., Jr., 2007. "The Public Health and Economic Impacts of Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT) Contaminants on U.S. Fisheries," 2007 Annual Meeting, February 4-7, 2007, Mobile, Alabama 34963, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    4. Shimshack, Jay P. & Ward, Michael B., 2010. "Mercury advisories and household health trade-offs," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(5), pages 674-685, September.
    5. Hirotsugu Uchida & Cathy A. Roheim & Robert J. Johnston, 2017. "Balancing the Health Risks and Benefits of Seafood: How Does Available Guidance Affect Consumer Choices?," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 99(4), pages 1056-1077.
    6. Jay Shimshack, 2004. "Are Mercury Advisories Effective? Inofrmation, Education, and Fish Consumption," Discussion Papers Series, Department of Economics, Tufts University 0423, Department of Economics, Tufts University.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    fisheries; mercury; advisories; recreation; health benefits;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • Q22 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Fishery
    • Q25 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Water
    • Q26 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Recreational Aspects of Natural Resources

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