| This study develops a welfare measure of wildlife damage to agricultural producers. Previous studies on producer tolerance suggest that the welfare loss from wildlife damage is different from the value of yield loss. Before efficient policies can be considered, one must ensure wildlife damage is appropriately defined and measured.;An empirical model is developed to estimate the welfare loss to Ontario field crop producers in 1998. A comparison of the estimated welfare loss with the estimated value of the loss in yields from the same data, reveals that the welfare loss is approximately 50% less than yield losses. The results of this study indicate that wildlife damage policies that are based on the value of yield loss may result in an overstatement of wildlife damage and as a result, optimal levels of wildlife, abatement and agricultural production may not be achieved. |
