Determination of Endangered Freshwater Fishes: Can Value Be Estimated?

The determination of endangered species is problematic. If one considers a species to be ontological individuals, then if a species goes extinct, it is gone forever. The Brook Trout is used as an example of a “species” which may be comprised of several unique entities that warrant a specific status. In addition to determining the specific status, it is difficult to determine how to place a monetary value on endangered species that do not have a general appeal to the public (e.g., many bird species), a commercial value, no known medical properties (e.g., deep water sponges vs. cancer), or generate monies for recreation. Perhaps if we could identify the unique information carried by a particular species, we could place a value on that information and assess the monetary value of the information lost.