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Submitted by Allen Golden and Scott Jackson Restoring Bay County’s Recreational Fishing Industry through Artificial Reef Construction and Monitoring ---PAGE BREAK--- Impacts of Oil Spill on Local Fishing 86,985 square miles ---PAGE BREAK--- Impact of Fishery Closure Journal of Environmental Management – UF/IFAS Food Resource Economic Department Alvarez et al (2014) Estimate Uncompensated Recreational Angler losses at $585 million ---PAGE BREAK--- Impact of Oil Spill Transactions of the American Fisheries Society – USF College of Marine Science Murawski et al (2014) Documented External Skin Lesions & PAH ---PAGE BREAK--- Economic Benefit of Artificial Reefs “The benefit-to-cost ratio of the artificial reefs within the northwest Florida region was estimated to be 131 to 1, a value indicating an extremely high, positive return to the cost of developing and implementing the artificial reef programs within the five-county, northwest Florida region.” - 12 month study (1997 – 1998) (Bell, Bonn, Leeworthy) ---PAGE BREAK--- Bay County Visitors • Fishing and diving visitors spent over $131 million in Bay County during those days that they engaged in saltwater fishing and diving on or near artificial reefs. • This supported 2,727 employees who received an estimated $24.69 million in wages. ($9,053 per employee) ---PAGE BREAK--- Bay County Residents • Resident divers and anglers spent approximately $16.74 million directly attributable to the presence of artificial reefs. Generating an additional $1.6 million in wages and salaries and supporting 147 full and part-time employees. ($10,884 per employee) • Bay County has an economic interest in supporting charter fishing and diving through the artificial reef program. ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- Optimized Patch Reef Design and Spacing ---PAGE BREAK--- Why artificial reefs? • Provide economic benefit to businesses and resource users directly impacted as a result of oil spill and fishery closure. • Additional reefs will disperse fishing pressure and benefit fish stocks. • Provide quality experience for artificial reef users. (less competition is good for both angler/divers and fish stocks) ---PAGE BREAK--- Budget Detail