What is the willingness to pay for woodlands : a case study of Miżieb

Abstract

This dissertation draws on the recent events of Miżieb being handled over to the ‘Federazzjoni Kaċċaturi Nassaba Konservazzjonisti’. Using the Contingent Valuation method, participants were presented either a hunting or a non-hunting hypothetical management scenario through a randomiser, then participants were asked how much they are willing to pay for that management scenario to occur. The payment scale was used as the payment vehicle. In total, 346 observations were collected, however, this was reduced to 275 due to missing observations. Out of the rest of the observations, 63 chose a willingness to pay of zero. The results of the two hypothetical scenarios amounted to a mean willingness to pay of €16.51 annually. T-tests indicated that there was a significant difference in the scenarios WTP. Regression analysis finds found pro-hunting individuals have a WTP that is not different than others, whereas environmentalists have a significant higher WTP than others. Regression analysis of a sample which included all the zero votes also found that when a non-hunting scenario was presented, the probability of willingness to pay was higher when individuals were anti-hunting and lower when individuals were pro-hunting. The study found the variables female, age, income, and donations to environmental NGO’s statistically significant in determining WTP. Although this study has a small and a non-representative sample, the findings are an important contribution to literature and policy, as irrespective of the scenario of hunting or non-hunting, the mean WTP was statically different than zero, which means that people are WTP for a management that conserves Miżieb.