Study Shows Marshes and Living Shorelines Boost Economic Value of Recreational Fishing in Virginia

GLOUCESTER POINT, Va. — Marshes and living shorelines in Virginia’s Middle Peninsula region generate more than $6.4 million in economic value from recreational fishing, a figure more than three and a half times greater than the value associated with hardened shorelines, according to a study by William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS).

Published in the journal Ocean & Coastal Management, the study is the first to assign an economic value to an ecological benefit of living shorelines. The research underscores the unique and interdisciplinary team at VIMS.

Funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and assisted by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, researchers surveyed over 1,500 anglers from the Middle Peninsula. Respondents were randomly sampled from a 2021 list of saltwater angling license holders and asked about their fishing trips and shoreline habitat preferences.

The data revealed a strong preference among anglers for coastal marshes and living shorelines due to frequent use and a high willingness to pay. Researchers also estimated the total costs of fishing trips, including reported individual trip expenses and the assessed value of travel time. Trips to marshes and living shorelines were found to be the least expensive and required the shortest travel times among different habitats, creating substantial value for Middle Peninsula anglers.

Carl Stover, a long-time Chesapeake Bay fisherman and volunteer tagger for the Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program, was part of a small focus group that informed the survey. Stover, who has tagged approximately 9,000 fish, affirmed that the study’s findings align with his observations, although he believes other factors should be considered by property owners and policymakers regarding recreational fishing.