B717 FLT CREW DECLARES 'MINIMUM FUEL' WHEN DELAYS RESULT IN LESS FUEL THAN ANTICIPATED UPON ARR.

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IN MY OPINION; WE HAD THE 'LEGAL' FUEL FOR DISPATCH; BUT NOT ENOUGH ADF FOR CONDITIONS. 500 LBS ADDITIONAL FUEL DID NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT TAXI/GROUND DELAY BURN; ANTI-ICE USE; HOLDING DELAYS BECAUSE OF WX AT ZZZ; AND GENERAL SLOWDOWN ON THE ARRIVAL. WE ONLY CARRIED 26 PAX AND APPROX 5800 LBS OF PAYLOAD; SO WEIGHT WAS NOT A FACTOR. WE COULD HAVE USED AT LEAST 1000 LBS OF ADF. DECLARED 'MINIMUM FUEL' WITH APPROACH ON ARRIVAL TO ZZZ. WE HAD BEEN IN HOLDING FOR APPROX 30 MINUTES AND CALCULATED FUEL REMAINING FOR ARRIVAL/APPROACH AND DIVERSION TO OUR ALTERNATE; AND DECIDED TO CONTINUE ARRIVAL BUT WE COULD NOT ACCEPT ANY MORE DELAYS. (WE HAD ALSO WAITED APPROX 15 MIN DUE TO GND DELAY PROGRAM ON DEPARTURE.) WE INFORMED ATC AND GAVE FOB AS 7100 LBS; AND SOB AS 30 INCLUDING CREW. THEY ACCEPTED THIS AND GAVE US SOME SHORTCUT VECTORS TO ZZZ. WE SHOT A MONITORED APPROACH DUE TO LOW VIS/CEILING (1800 RVR) AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. OUR BLOCK IN FUEL WAS 5900 LBS. AS STATED ABOVE; THE FLIGHT CREW WAS DOING THEIR JOB; AND WERE WELL AWARE OF THE FUEL SITUATION. DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL WITH ATC; AND CALCULATED REQUIRED FUEL TO CONTINUE/DIVERT WITH REQUIRED RESERVE FUEL. ONCE THIS WAS DONE WE CONTINUED WITH THE ARRIVAL AND APPROACH/LANDING. DISPATCH FLIGHTS WITH A MORE REASONABLE AMOUNT OF ADF FOR THE CONDITIONS.