In 1970 the Florida Legislature provided for a table of values for fish killed by water pollution. These data were applied to standing crop estimates to determine the monetary value of the 1970 fishery in 22,700 acre Lake Tohopekaliga. The lim netic portion of the fishery was valued at $4,335,120 or $321.12 per acre. The littoral portion was valued at $12,266,636 or $1 ,333.33 per acre. Although the littoral zone has a considerably higher value and is vital for the renewal of the fishery resource, it is continually subjected to accelerated encroachment and piecemeal destruction by a variety of means. Monetary estimates such as these enable biologists to express biological facts in terms of more conventional market pricing techniques when considering water-use policies. The fish values were also applied to harvest estimates derived from a concurrent creel survey to obtain an annual net value returned to fishermen of $560,008 emphasizing the importance of managing the fishery and habitat as a renewable resource. On the average, fishermen harvested 17.3 fish per acre per year valued at $24.35. Based on standing crop estimates, this represents a low utilization of the fishery present and the potential exists for a much higher net return. These monetary estimates are considered to be conservative and represent only a portion of the fishery. They do not include tangible fisherman costs, or the value of other organisms and uses dependent on the fishery or habitat.
