Hunting and fishing provides benefits for local economies and welfare to users – example from Finnish state owned areas

Metsähallitus is the administrator of the state owned areas in Finland including 12 million hectares of land and water areas. It provides hunting and fishing opportunities to citizens. During the last years approximately 150... [ view full abstract ]

Metsähallitus is the administrator of the state owned areas in Finland including 12 million hectares of land and water areas. It provides hunting and fishing opportunities to citizens. During the last years approximately 150 000 licenses have been sold annually to the state areas implying that customers have hundreds of thousands outdoor days. While travelling, visitors use money for e.g. supplies, food, accommodation and other services. In addition it has been proposed that hunting and fishing provides social and health benefits for visitors themselves. In 2014 Metsähallitus carried out two studies in which the main aims were to evaluate the impacts of hunting and fishing on regional economy as well as well-being experienced by the visitors. Our study consists of two independent Webropol online surveys done during the year 2013, carried out by Metsähallitus together with the Universities of Helsinki and Eastern Finland and Oulu Diakonissalaitos Foundation. The target group of these studies comprised persons having acquired a hunting or fishing permit for state-owned areas in 2013.
Over 8000 responses were received in the survey of local economics and near 5000 responses in the survey of impacts on health and well-being. The main results of the first study indicate that hunters and fishermens personal expenditures have an impact on regional economy. On average, total impacts on local economics per one sold license was 255 euros and altogether 28.2 million euros. Those expenditures created also 238 person-years.
When evaluating the state of health and well-being, the results indicate that hunting and fishing trips are beneficial in terms of the social, psychological and physical well-being of people. Hunters experienced a somewhat higher increase in well-being than fishermen. Young women felt most positive impacts on their psychological well-being. These results are similar to the previous studies regarding the revitalizing and activating impacts of nature.
This study is one example how to measure the ecosystem services. It also confirms that regional economies benefit when the state provides facilities and shows the value of the ecosystem services to the human well-being and health.