Browsing by Author "Ditton, Robert B."

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Business Analysis of the Charter Fishing Industry on the Texas Gulf Coast - DRAFT
(Texas A&M University, 1977-02) Ditton, Robert B.; Woods, Steve A.; Jarmen, Richard N.
This paper is concerned with one segment of the Gulf coast sport fishing industry, namely, the Texas Gulf coast charter fishing industry. Charter fishing is unique because it has elements of commercial fishing - the charter operation is a business - and sport fishing - the consumer is the sport fisherman. The charter industry provides access to fishing areas for individuals who cannot purchase adequate equipment or prefer to let others purchase such equipment. An estimated 15% of all fishermen utilizing the Gulf's resources in 1970 used a charter boat or party boat at least once (U.S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, 1970). These 355,000 users spent $20,838,000 on charter boat or party boat fees alone (U.S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, 1970) or $58.70 per person. This figure does not include expenditures for various items as food, bait, tackle, etc. The objectives of this paper were to identify and describe operators, their business activity and structure and their financial status. A data base, which presents a descriptive understanding of this industry, is crucial to legislators and resource managemers whose decision and regulations potentially effect the viability of this industry. The coastal zone is becoming more crowded resulting in serioud allocation problems and conflicts of use. As fishing-related issues surface, like the Pier 19 controversy in Galveston, data is needed so managers can make a proper analysis of the situation. The Pier 19 issue concerns the decision by the Galveston Wharf Commission to either continue using Pier 18 and 19 for party boat and commercial fishing activities or convert the piers to an open-cargo dock. An important question in the issue is which use provides the most benefits to the community.
Charter Fishing on the Texas Gulf Coast - DRAFT
(Texas A&M University Texas Agricultural Experiment Station (Recreation and Parks), 1977-07) Ditton, Robert B.; Jarman, Richard N.; Mertens, Thomas J.; Schwartz, Martin P.; Woods, Steve A.
This study establishes the magnitude, role and economic importance of charter fishing on the Texas Gulf Coast. Data was collected to describe three major components of charter fishing: (1) the operator and his business activity, (2) the customers of the industry, and (3) the resulting economic impact attributable to the charter customers' expenditures. A total of 88 charter operators were identified as being in business in 1975. These operators were classified as being in one of five geographic locations: Freeport/Surfside, Port O'Conner, Rockport, Port Aransas, and South Padre/Port Mansfield. Study findings related to the operator make three major points. First, there is little organization of the industry in the private sector. Second, most of the operators are in business not for the money, but for the life style. Finally, versatility is a key to a more profitable operation. Information is provided about charter customers as a useful input to local and regional decision makers and also to clarify some of the issues involved in defining a "Total" fishing experience. Profiles of Texas charter fishermen were compiled, and these included: (1) the socio-demographic characteristics of place of residence, age, income and occupation of charter fishermen, (2) their participation in charter fishing, (3) reasons for participating in charter fishing, and (4) opinions fishermen have about their charter fishing experiences. Thirteen motives, indicative of some of the reasons why fishermen go charter fishing, were identified using factor analysis. These motives were: (1) FISHING CHALLENGE, (2) ESCAPE, (3) STATUS ACHIEVEMENT, (4) OUTDOOR COASTAL EXPERIENCE, (5) CATCH FISH, (6) PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT, (7) AFFILIATION, (8) ADVENTURE EXPERIENCE, (9) LEARNING ABOUT NATURE, (10) EAT FISH, (11) ESTABLISH/MAINTAIN BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS, (12) HAVE FUN, and (13) CONVENIENCE IN FISHING. By arranging the identified motives according to their mean importance, it is apparent that fishermen consider many elements of their experience important in addition to catching fish. Charter fishermen spent approximately $4,208, 932.15 in coastal communities while charter fishing in 1976. This resulted in a total impact on the State of Texas of $13,766,740.70. The charter fishing industry is supported by approximately 10,776 charter fishermen who each spent about $390.53 in 1976 while pursuing the sport. This report concludes with a discussion of study findings, and implications and directions for future research are suggested. Charter fishermen, as identified, are one important constituency to which the goals of fisheries management must be addressed. Descriptions of fishermen are useful for predicting the type of people who are most likely to utilize a particular area of the coast. The identification of the interests involved and the impact each has on the resource to be managed, can enable management and regulatory decision making to evaluate the best direction for policy. The financial findings showed that the most profitable charter operators were the more flexible operators who took out both bay and Gulf charter trips. Further testing, verification and refinement of the conceptual foundations presented are suggested for further research. A longitudinal extension of the work reported would allow researchers to monitor how the various aspects of the charter fishing experience change over time. A final suggestion for further research is that this research design needs to be applied in other coastal locations and with other fishing subgroups so that broader generalizations among various fishing populations can be made.
Coastal Recreation: A Handbook for Planners and Managers
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Coastal Zone Management, 1976-01) Ditton, Robert B.; Stephens, Mark
This paper is intended to provide a basic understanding of recreation supply, demand, impacts and management considerations, and to provide recommendations which can be integrated into a balanced long-term coastal zone management program.
Demographics, Attitudes, Management Preferences, and Economic Impacts of Sport Divers using Artificial Reefs in Offshore Texas Waters
(Texas A&M University, 1999-12) Ditton, Robert B.; Baker, Troy L.
To do an effective job of deploying artificial reefs in Texas offshore waters, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) reef planners and managers need to know as much about their user constituencies as they do marine resources. Reef siting has much to do with human population and tourism densities and the expressed demand for diving-related resources along the Texas coast. This project sought to characterize diver clientele in terms of their demographic characteristics, participation patterns, level of involvement in scuba diving, experience preferences, motivations, attitudes, management preferences, and expenditures. Sport diver expenditures according to where they were made (in coastal communities in Texas, elsewhere in Texas, and out-of-state) allowed for the calculation of the total economic impact of sport divers on Texas coastal communities and at the state level. Diver charter boat operators were asked to provide names and addresses for a representative sample of their diving customers. A random sample of 1,059 sport divers was selected from dive charter boat receipts and records: there were 614 divers taking trips to the Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary and 445 divers in proportion to the known number of non-Flower Gardens trips by region of the Texas coast. An 11-page mail questionnaire was developed to collect data from the sample of divers. Of the 1,059 questionnaires mailed, 528 were returned usable for an overall effective response rate 56.2%. An insufficient number of non-respondents could be contacted to test for differences in responses with respondents. Readers are cautioned there are likely differences between respondents and non-respondents.
Development of a sport fishing focus in the TAMU Sea Grant Program
(Texas A&M University, Department of Recreation and Parks., December 1974) Ditton, Robert B.; Jarman, Richard;
In these times of rapid inflation, it is increasingly recognized that without adequate data on social and economic impact, public investment in resource development and management is difficult if not impossible to justify. Private entrepreneurs have always had to deal realistically with the costs and benefits associated with their activity or risked going out of business. In the public sector, monies have been spent with the expectation and hope that benefits would exceed costs. Today, however with many goverment agencies and programs vying for the same public dollar, decision-makers are less impressed with global statements and generalizations. The fact that there are a lot of fishermen in Texas spending a lot of money is less convincing than having the specific participation, spending and impact data in hand. Other industrial sectors have this information and thus are better able to complete in decision-making relative to the allocation of marine resources. Some of the key questions to be asked and answered today if sport fishing on the Texas coast is to remain a competitive marine use are the following: 1. How may Texas and non-Texas fisherment salt water fish in Texas and how often? 2. How are they distributed throughout sport fishing environments from fishing piers to deep water? 3. How much do they spend per capita and where? 4. What is the impact of coastal sport fishing on the state, regional and local economies? 5. Who will use and benefit from artificial fish attractants such as artificial reefs? Is the location of artificial attractants a factor in determining who will use them? 6. What is the biological impact of sport fishing activity on the fishery and on specific species? How does sport fishing affect our marine resources? What is the extent of competition for marine resources between commercial and sport fishing interests?
Highlights: Recreational Fishing Use of Artificial Reefs on the Texas Coast
(Texas Coastal and Marine Council, 1978) Graefe, Alan R.; Ditton, Robert B.
This study sought to determine the extent to which the Liberty Ships were used for fishing during 1977 by the population of fishermen residing in the eight-county area surrounding Houston and Galveston.