Testing the Reliability of the Benefit Function Transfer Approach

This article presents an experiment designed to test the reliability of the benefit function transfer approach using contingent valuation methods. The experiment uses data collected from anglers surveyed across eight contiguous Texas Gulf Coast bay regions over three distinct time periods. Results indicate that the benefit function transfer approach tends to over-estimate benefits, implying that, at least for the case of recreational saltwater fishing in Texas, the benefit function transfer approach is not reliable.