A Socioeconomic Appraisal Of Fish Aggregation Devices In Hawaii

Fish aggregation devices (FADs) have been deployed in nearshore Hawaiian waters for the benefit of commercial and recreational fishermen; the socioeconomic characteristics, attitudes, and motives of FAD users are described based on a 1984 survey. Fishermen generally claimed that fish catch and overall fishing fun were improved around FADs, but frequently identified crowding as a detracting factor. Significant differences exist between commercial and recreational fishermen using FADs in terms of fishing activity, vessel type, catch, and attitudes about the effectiveness of the devices. On an annual basis, users' willingness to pay for FADs ($184,906) slightly exceeds estimated average annual program costs ($182,000). Grant no. NA81AA-D-00070