It’s being called a ground-breaking survey. A report commissioned by the federal government says Americans believe Hawaii’s coral reefs are worth $33.57 billion a year. The report is based on a national survey conducted in 2009.
How much money would you devote to improve and preserve Hawaii’s coral reefs every year? It’s a question that was presented in a survey to more than 3,200 American households that were randomly selected across the country.
"People who’ll never go see these reefs in Hawaii who live far, far from the islands," said Jon Corsiglia, Communications and Outreach Specialist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Conservation Program. "Hold value dear to their hearts on these coral reefs."
The statistically valid sample was taken from June through October of 2009.
"Essentially people responded by saying, I would be willing to pay X amount," said Corsiglia. "Per household, average is 287 dollars per year."
Multiply that average by the 116 million households in the U.S…
"You get to that big number you get to that 33.57 billion dollars," said Corsiglia.
NOAA officials asked researchers to study the issue to help it better understand the economic value Americans place on protecting and restoring coral reef ecosystems. NOAA says this scientific literature can be used to put a legal figure to Hawaii’s coral reefs.
"Provide a reference point, when responsible parties for a grounding, a ship operator is sued by the state government or the federal government for damages to restore that ecosystem for restoration fund," said Corsiglia.
State Department of Land and Natural Resources Chairman Williams Aila said in a statement: "DLNR is pleased that research is being done to look at the value of Hawaii’s coral reefs, but before we consider any potential applications of the study, we will consult with local communities. We will be taking a close look at the findings in coming weeks to understand how this information can be useful. It’s important to understand that this study was designed to look at how Americans value Hawaii’s coral reefs. It was not designed to determine what Hawaii’s policies regarding coral reefs should be."
NOAA officials believe this ground-breaking report will provide a model for future ecosystem evaluation studies. To view the full report go here.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
