What Are The Factors Affecting Trip Satisfaction in the For-Hire Industry in South Carolina in Relation to the Black Sea Bass Bag Limit?
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Weinstock, Stacey
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Abstract
The for-hire industry is an economically important recreational activity that thrives in tourist destinations in coastal areas. While there has been much research on factors contributing to trip satisfaction for freshwater anglers little has been done on charter and head boat anglers. In South Carolina, black sea bass (<i>Centropsis striata</i>) are an important recreational species that are targeted by the for-hire industry. In 2016, SAFMC implemented new policies increasing recreational bag limits for this species. Utilizing this change in regulation, I sought to determine the factors that drive trip satisfaction amongst customers and captains/crew of South Carolina charter/head boat industry. The results of my research found that overall catch rate and fight with fish affect trip satisfaction in the for-hire industry. Bag limits were found to not affect attitudes, but this result may be unique to black sea bass since size restricts filling bag limits. The results of this study are informative to managers as it is important to consider the potential impacts regulations have on trip satisfaction in the for-hire industry. If management is too restrictive, this can negatively impact trip satisfaction.