© Kamla-Raj 2012 J Hum Ecol, 37(2): 85-92 (2012) The Recreational Value of Wetlands: Activities, Socio-economic Activities and Consumers’ Surplus around Lake Victoria in Musoma Municipality, Tanzania Emmanuel B. Musamba 1 , Emmanuel K. Boon 2 , Yonika M. Ngaga 3 , Richard A. Giliba 4 and Tulamwona Dumulinyi 3 1 Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Tanzania E-mail: e_musamba@yahoo.co.uk 2 Department of Human Ecology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel 3 Department of Forest Economics, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania, 4 Forestry Training Institute, Arusha, Tanzania KEYWORDS Consumer’s Surplus. Recreational Activities. Travel-Cost-Method. Recreational Value ABSTRACT Wetlands play a big role as the important recreational destinations which contribute to the increase in tourism industry. This paper evaluates the recreational value of Lake Victoria in Musoma Municipality. Primary data were gathered by administering the questionnaire to a sample of 120 recreationists. The socio-economic data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Quantification of wetland benefits was done by using Microsoft Excel. The travel cost method was mainly used to determine the recreational value of the Lake Victoria. Findings show that there were a limited number of recreational activities around the Lake Victoria. Consumer’s surplus was estimated to Tsh. 1,462,664,555 (US$ 1,044,760) per annum with an average value of Tsh. 9,751,113.3 (US$ 6,965) per hectare per year. Although there is a limited number of recreational activities around the Lake Victoria, policy formulation and project implementation should consider the use and non-use values of LV in order to estimate the social welfare gain or loss with respect to a proposed project or policy. 1. INTRODUCTION Wetlands play a big role as the important recreational destinations which contribute to the increase in tourism industry (Malan 2010; Munishi and Kilungu 2004; Young 1996, 2005). They are estimated to occupy an area of 6% of earth’s surface covering more than 900 million ha around the world and about 1% equivalent to an area of 250,000 km 2 of Africa (Jodi et al. 2005; Mdamo 2003). In Tanzania, the coverage of wetlands is more than 6% ranging from lake systems, river, floodplains and deltaic mangrove formations (Munishi and Kilungu 2004; Munishi et al. 2003; URT 2007). Among other benefits, wetlands play an important role in providing water, biological resources and site for recreation and in often sheer survival of people (Kirsten 2005). Sustainable management of wetlands is, therefore, critical to the long-term health, safety and welfare of many African communities. Despite their importance, wetlands are being modified or reclaimed, often driven by economic and financial motives (Munishi et al. 2003; Kirsten 2005; Kent and Mast 2005). For the past 1.5 decades, Tanzania has lost 200,000 ha of wetlands (including Lake Victoria) despite the fact that they are the natural capital upon which the country’s economy depends for the production of many goods and services (URT 2007; Masiyandima et al. 2004). Thus, if ecosystem changes result in indivi- duals’ perception that they are worse off, then it will be of interest to measure the individuals’ welfare loss (Kirsten 2005; Kent and Mast 2005). Conversely, if the changes make people better off, one would want to estimate the resulting welfare gain (Heal et al. 2005; Young 1996). Hence, quantification of the benefits provided by wetlands in recreation is not an option but a necessity as much as possible if the effective choices are to be made between management and development alternatives (Young 2005; Malan 2010). This is due to the fact that decision makers, planners and politicians are very much influenced by economic issues. However, various authors advocate that tourism act as incentive to protect natural resources (including Lake Victoria) in many areas around the world (Figueroa and Pasten 2009; McNeely and Mainka 2009; De Groot et al. 2006; McCartney and van Koppen 2004). The economic valuation of wetlands is based on the