Economic valuation of cultural ecosystem services provided by small-scale European Atlantic fisheries

This research explores how small-scale fisheries contribute to the provision of diverse marine cultural ecosystem services through their influence on the lifestyles and worldviews of coastal communities historically connected to fishing. This research focuses on cultural ecosystem services linked to small-scale fisheries, encompassing a broad range of heritage elements. We provide an economic monetary valuation of nonexplicitly marketed use and nonuse values (existence and bequest) for six small-scale fisheries heritage sites estimated using contingent valuation based on 3039 surveys conducted across the European Atlantic Area. We also implement econometric models to examine the factors influencing willingness to pay (WTP) and protest responses. 40% of respondents expressed a positive WTP, being use values ranging between 14 € and 15 € per person per visit. Moreover, the long-term bequest value associated to small-scale fisheries is substantial and its estimated annual value exceeds 71.7 million €. Being gender and nationality significantly influence WTP in specific regions, although other influential factors include age, visits during the COVID19 pandemic, employment status, education, and social connections to the fishing sector. These novel estimations support better-informed decision-making and investments in natural and also, small-scale fisheries heritage preservation and conservation.