A system for determining economic loss associated with estuary degradation

Abstract

This article suggests a method of estimating economic losses for estuary‐dependent faunal species under conditions whereby the impact of a given degrading development on a particular estuary has a significant degree of uncertainty associated with it. The approach draws on standard theories from a variety of disciplines to provide an operational procedure capable of joint application by biologists, economists, and other related disciplines with working responsibility in the subject area. Consideration is given to probability estimation of possible impacts, sensitivity to underlying assumptions, and decisional safety under conditions of uncertainty. Applied results are demonstrated in a simulation of a negative developmental impact on the estuary‐dependent salmon resources of the Fraser River in British Columbia.