Angler’s sense of place as an indicator for perceived vulnerability to shifting stock distributions

Abstract

Climate change continues to warm ocean waters and cause fish stocks to redistribute to untraditional locations, prompting changes in angler behavior and destabilizing the connection they have built with particular places in order to fish successfully. This research evaluates recreational anglers’ sense of place in New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island (USA), as an indicator to assess perceptions of vulnerability in relation to shifting fish stock distributions through a mixed-methods research design. The findings of this research suggest that recreational anglers’ sense of place can be significantly associated with vulnerability perceptions as environmental conditions continue to shift. Sense of place is a key component of an angler’s identity and therefore must be preserved to promote community resilience, encourage sustainable behavior, and help anglers better adjust to change. Implementing sense of place as an indicator within vulnerability and well-being assessments may contribute to the robustness of the socio-cultural data collected within recreational saltwater angler populations to build holistic and adaptive ecosystem-based management plans, as well as assist with the movement towards climate-ready fisheries policy.