How to estimate costs from harmful algal blooms : economic impacts on wild fisheries, aquaculture and commercial tourism

The background for the analysis is the increased registration of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in different sea areas world wide. The frequency of algae blooms in for example Skagerrak and along the coast of Norway is relatively high. There exist about 4000 algae species, and the micro organisms play normally an important role in the ecosystem. But under certain conditions the algal can bloom and be harmful for other species and inflict economic losses. The report is addressed to methodological questions where we ask how to estimate the economic effects of HABs on for example the aquaculture and tourist industry. The report refers to case studies in USA, Norway and EU-countries which assess the socio-economic damages due to HABs. The report is a part of the EU-project EVK3-CT2001-00063: Harmful Algae Blooms Initiation and Prediction in Large European Marine Ecosystems – HABILE