Inland fisheries provide many ecosystem services to human communities, especially for food and livelihood security. The benefits from inland fisheries, however, are often undervalued or overlooked by decision-makers (e.g. resource managers, funding agencies, government heads), especially when compared to other uses (e.g. agriculture, transportation, municipal use, hydropower) of freshwater resources. This undervaluation of inland fisheries is particularly prevalent in the United States, where freshwater is generally prioritized for other uses. It is necessary to ensure inland fisheries have a voice in water use and allocation discussions by guaranteeing that the benefits provided by inland fisheries are properly evaluated and readily accessible by the people who utilize these fisheries and concurrently raising public awareness of the ecosystem contributions provided by inland fisheries.This dissertation explores the valuation of economic and cultural impacts provided by a long-standing inland fishery in Lake Michigan (United States): the commercial Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) fishery. Lake Whitefish have a regional cultural role (e.g. tribal traditions, history of freshwater fish consumption), play a role in local economies (e.g. commercial fisheries, employment in fishing-related livelihoods) and are a source of food and nutrients (e.g. protein) for local and regional communities. In addition to supporting a commercial fishery, Lake Whitefish also contribute to subsistence fisheries for tribal communities residing in the Great Lakes region.The Lake Whitefish fisheries were chosen as a case study because these fisheries characterize a well-developed, commercial, wild-capture freshwater fishery in a developed economy. The supply chain for these fisheries is established, relatively easy to trace, and incorporates multiple aspects of fishery-related businesses (e.g. fish capture, processing, and sale). The established supply chain also makes it possible to incorporate and strengthen a value chain (e.g. the process of activities by which value is added to a product) onto the existing supply chain.The goal of this dissertation is to examine the economic and cultural values of the Lake Whitefish commercial fishery in the Lake Michigan region. In order to meet this goal, there are four objectives: review the contributions of Lake Whitefish to the diet and economy of Michigan communities; elucidate the value chain for the commercial Lake Whitefish fishery; assess which aspects of Lake Whitefish consumers prefer; and determine the cultural values that Lake Whitefish hold for people in Michigan. The conclusions and recommendations of this dissertation will focus on possible strategies and policies to sustain inland fisheries and the food and livelihood contributions of these resources to human communities.
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