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Abstract
Wetland protection in the Upper South East (USE) of South Australia yields a range
of private and social benefits. The profit motivation for private wetland owners to
supply private benefits is clear whilst the provision of purely social benefits by private
suppliers has no similar incentive. One potential for the provision of social benefits
from private lands arises when a private benefit is jointly supplied with a social
benefit. Such is the case of nature-based recreation activities such as duck hunting. In
this paper, the results of a study investigating the extent of the benefits enjoyed by
duck hunters in the USE are reported. The travel cost method was employed in a
survey of those participating in a weekend duck hunt. The extent of the private
recreation benefits so estimated is assessed in terms of their potential to stimulate the
provision of wetlands for both private and social benefits.