Estimating Willingness to Pay for Labeobarbus Fish Species Conservation in Lake Tana, Ethiopia: A Contingent Valuation Study

This study employed Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) to assess the willingness to pay (WTP) by labor of beneficiaries of lake Tana, Ethiopia for the conservation activities of labeobarbus fish species. The WTP was conducted among 357 beneficiaries of the lake in 11 kebeles (districts). The data revealed that 96.9% of the respondents are willing to pay for the conservation activities of labeobarbus fish species by labor work. The mean WTP in working days is estimated at 48.48 labor days per year per household in the four weredas/districts studied, which is equivalent to 4,422,792.4 USD per year. Respondents WTP is significantly influenced by age, sex, economic activity respondents involved in, and the level of understanding of the respondents about future generation without labeobarbus fish species. A full scale campaign on education and environmental conservation activities will help improving the attitudes of the respondents, and if programs can be designed and implemented accordingly, it will help to alleviate the problem of loss (decreasing number) of labeobarbus species flock in lake Tana.