The importance of marine recreational fishing to the local and national economy on the example of the seaport of Kołobrzeg

This article identifies the importance of marine recreational fishing to the economy of the Koszalin subregion and Poland as a whole. The study behind the paper was limited to the seaport of Kołobrzeg, a harbour of crucial significance for marine recreational fishing. The aim set was accomplished based on survey results and by using the input-output method. The economic impact was analysed by distinguishing between direct, indirect, and induced effects and utilising the three indicators: output value, added value and employment. The study showed that most of the economic benefits are limited to the local economy. Recreational fishing for the Koszalin subregion generates PLN 7.09 million of output value and PLN 3.67 million of added value and provides nearly 43 jobs. For the whole country, these indicators are PLN 10.50 million and PLN 5.03 million, respectively, providing nearly 50 jobs. In a counterfactual scenario based on the higher cod fishing quotas in force until 2019, recreational fishing becomes an important sector of the local economy. The significance of marine recreational fishing in Poland is far lower than in that of the countries adopted for comparison in the study. The future of marine recreational fishing depends on whether Poland’s territorial waters can be excluded from the ban on angling and whether the regulations governing the activities of angling vessels can be relaxed.