Marine Recreational Fisheries Research Articles

Field surveying of marine recreational fisheries in Norway using a novel spatial sampling frame reveals striking under-coverage of alternative sampling frames

AbstractNorway has the highest participation rate in marine recreational fisheries (MRF) in Europe, and is popular among marine tourist anglers. Fishing licences are not required for marine recreational anglers, and the complex and long coastline makes on-site surveys a challenge. A novel approach for spatial sampling was developed and tested in on-site surveys, as part of a National study of MRF using multiple sampling frames including a telephone screening survey based on the national telephone directory. Field surveys were conducted in Troms and Hordaland Counties, and in the Oslofjord. We created spatial sampling frames of modified Voronoi polygons with continuous sea-surface area, with clusters of polygons as primary sampling units (PSUs). Interviews of intercepted anglers were obtained quarterly from a stratified sample of PSUs searched by boat. Many anglers interviewed in Troms (63%) and Hordaland (53%) were non-residents, of which 92 and 66% stayed in registered tourist fishing camps, respectively. Most anglers in the Oslofjord were residents, and in the inner Oslofjord, 63% of the resident anglers interviewed on-site were born outside Norway, which was not reflected in the telephone survey. Thus, if only off-site methods were used to map Norwegian MRF, this could lead to biased results in some regions.

A multi-methods approach supports the effective management and conservation of coastal marine recreational flats fisheries

The recreational, catch and release fishery for fishes that inhabit shallow-water, coastal marine habitats in tropical and sub-tropical regions (called the flats fishery) is economically valuable and increasingly perceived as a sustainable ecotourism pursuit. However, knowledge of many aspects of target species (such as bonefish, tarpon and permit) ecology is incomplete, and fishery- and non-fishery-related threats to the fish and habitats are numerous and often poorly understood. The International Bonefish and Tarpon Symposium is convened every three years to share new knowledge and to chart directions for future research, with a focus on research that informs conservation and management. Most of the articles in this Special Issue focus on the flats fishery in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and western North Atlantic ocean, but the findings presented here provide guidance for similar work in other regions. Conservation and management of flats fisheries present a challenge because the fisheries are typically data poor; they occur in locations that lack resources and there are scant data on the target species and their habitats. Since earlier symposia, much has been accomplished to fill knowledge gaps and contribute actionable knowledge to conservation. Studies are being replicated across a wider geographic range, and connectivity is being studied at local and regional scales. Citizen science and local ecological knowledge have contributed to a better understanding of historical trends and ongoing processes. In some instances, data have been applied to proactive habitat protections, as in the Bahamas, and to habitat restoration, as in Florida. In other instances, though much data have been gathered, additional information is needed before a comprehensive conservation strategy is possible, as in the Florida Keys. As the articles contained in this Special Issue demonstrate, a mixed-methods approach that uses complementary sources of information to construct a broad understanding of the flats fishery is necessary to guide research and inform conservation and management.

The building of a management system for marine recreational fisheries in Galicia (NW Spain)

Over the past decades, the nature of the management of marine fisheries in Galicia (NW Spain) has changed substantially. In addition to a powerful commercial fleet and high fisheries dependence of coastal communities, Galicia has a long and strong tradition in marine recreational fisheries, with 60 000 fishers and 4000 boats engaged in this activity in coastal waters. This paper analyses, for the first time, key changes in the management framework of marine recreational fisheries in Galicia by investigating past and current regulations and research initiatives developed so far. Three periods in the management of marine recreational fisheries (1963–1982; 1983–2000; and 2001-present) have been identified. The results show that the management of marine recreational fishing (MRF) moved from a poorly regulated and de facto open access system under the rule of the Spanish administration in the 1980's to a current highly regulated fishery under regional, national and European Union (EU) governments. EU regulations are being fundamental to promote the ecological and socioeconomic sustainability of MRF. However, the lack of scientific data, with only eight papers about MRF in Galicia published in international referred journals, the absence of experts in the field working in the fisheries administration and in research centers, and the lack of strong fishers' organizations are jeopardizing the sustainability of this complex socioecological system in the long term. The development of a strategic plan for MRF in Galicia is needed, including a diagnosis of its current status in relation to other sectors sharing coastal ecosystems, like commercial fisheries, and tourism. Co-management initiatives and adaptive policies favoring both the development of commercial fisheries and the promotion of MRF-based economies to offer new opportunities to local communities are encouraged.

A matter of scales: Does the management of marine recreational fisheries follow the ecosystem approach to fisheries in Europe?

European policy-makers are increasingly aware of the ecological and socioeconomic relevance of marine recreational fisheries (MRF), but there are still gaps in the information needed to achieve sustainable management. How is the current management of European MRF performed? Is it promoting the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF)? The management of MRF in Europe was reviewed by analyzing how different European regulations align with the EAF in different geographic and administrative scales. Text mining tools were used to identify key concepts and analyze the text of legal regulations on MRF in the European Union (EU), Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom (UK). Also, the Ecosystem Fisheries Legal Assessment (EFLA) framework was used to assess the alignment of the regulations with the EAF. The number of regulations about MRF in Spain and Portugal is higher than in the UK and the EU, probably because the relative higher importance of regional regulations in Spain and Portugal, and the limitations imposed to recreational fishers in marine protected areas (MPAs). The lack of specific regulations on MRF in the EU, and open-access in the UK for recreational fishers, except for Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, explain their lower number of regulations. The EFLA framework showed that the European public policies on MRF follow the EAF principles. Enough attention is payed to ecological components, but socio-economic sustainability could be improved. However, policy efficiency could be lower than expected because potential institutional misfits derived from the eventual confluence of different spatial scales.

Status-quo management of marine recreational fisheries undermines angler welfare

Recreational fisheries can have a significant impact on fish populations and can suffer from the same symptoms of open access as commercial fisheries. However, recreational fisheries receive little attention compared with their commercial counterparts. Regulations designed to allocate scarce fish, such as seasonal closures and bag limits, can result in significant losses of value to anglers. We provide an estimate of these foregone benefits by estimating the potential gains to implementing management reforms of the headboat portion of the recreational red snapper fishery in the US Gulf of Mexico. This fishery has suffered from a regulatory spiral of shortened seasons and lowered bag limits in spite of rebuilding stocks. We gather primary survey data of headboat anglers that elicit trip behavior and their planned number and seasonal distribution of trips under status-quo and alternative management approaches. We use these data to estimate a model of anglers' seasonal trip demand as a function of the ability to retain red snapper, bag limits, and fees. We find that a hypothetical rights-based policy, whereby vessels with secure rights to a portion of annual catch could offer their customers year-round fishing in exchange for lower per-angler retention and increased fees, could raise the average angler's welfare by $139/y. When placed in the global context of recreational fishing, these estimates suggest that status-quo management may deprive anglers of billions of dollars of lost economic value per year.

Economic, social and ecological attributes of marine recreational fisheries in Galicia, Spain

There are growing concerns about the impact of Marine Recreational Fishing (MRF) on marine ecosystems and its combined effects with other human activities, such as commercial fishing, especially on the higher trophic levels. Conversely, recreational fishers provide considerable economic benefits through their expenditure on many things including fishing tackle, boats, licenses, travel, and accommodation. However, research on MRF in Europe is limited, particularly in Southern countries. In Galicia (Northwest Spain) detailed information on MRF is still needed to support management and to reduce growing conflicts between recreational fishers and other stakeholders including the commercial fishing sector. This paper provides the first comprehensive analysis of MRF in Galicia including the economic, social, and ecological impacts, from a survey of 363 recreational fishers. It was estimated that there are 60 000 recreational fishers, comprised of 45 000 shore anglers, 12 000 boat anglers and 3000 spear fishers. Each year, they spend 86 €M on fishing gear and other expenses, while boat owners spend another 11 €M. Fishers’ activity is higher in summer and spring, especially in the case of boat anglers. Recreational fishers reported catching 38 species, but the most common were ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta), European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), and white seabream (Diplodus sargus). Annual recreational catch is about 7 500 t (5–13% of commercial and recreational landings of the same species); shore anglers are responsible for 50% of total MRF catches, boat anglers for 40%, and spear fishers for 10%. The results are discussed in the context of management that could improve the socio-ecological sustainability of MRF.

Pilot surveys to improve monitoring of marine recreational fisheries in Hawaiʻi

Marine recreational fishing from shore and from private boats in Hawaiʻi is monitored via the Hawaiʻi Marine Recreational Fishing Survey (HMRFS), using an access point intercept survey to collect catch rate information, and the Coastal Household Telephone Survey (CHTS) to collect fishing effort data. In response to a recent HMRFS review, roving surveys of shoreline fishing effort and catch rate, an aerial fishing effort survey, and a mail survey of fishing effort were tested simultaneously on one of the main Hawaiian Islands (Oʻahu) and compared with the current HMRFS approach for producing shoreline fishing estimates. The pilot roving surveys were stratified by region (rural vs urban), shift (three 4-h periods during the day), and day type (weekday vs weekend). A pilot access point survey of private boat fishing was also conducted on Oʻahu, using an alternate sampling design created by NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP). Three overlapping 6-h time blocks and site clusters with unequal inclusion probabilities were used to cover daytime fishing. Group catch was recorded for an entire vessel rather than individual catch, which is the current standard for MRIP intercept surveys. Although catch estimates from the pilot private boat survey were comparable to the current HMRFS catch estimates, the catch estimates from the pilot roving survey were lower than the HMRFS estimates. HMRFS uses effort data from the CHTS, which includes both day and night fishing in all areas, to estimate total catch, whereas effort data from the roving shoreline survey covered only daytime fishing from publicly accessible areas. We therefore suggest that a roving survey conducted during the day should have complementary surveys to include night fishing and fishing in remote and private/restricted areas. Results from these pilot studies will be used to improve the current surveys of marine recreational fishing activities in Hawaiʻi.

Combining fishers’ knowledge and cost‐effective monitoring tools in the management of marine recreational fisheries: A case study of the squid and cuttlefish fishery of the Ría of Vigo (NW Spain)

AbstractA new methodology based in the use of fishers’ knowledge and cost‐effective tools to obtain information about marine recreational fisheries (MRF) is presented. The squid and cuttlefish fishery of the Ría of Vigo (NW Spain) was selected because it is managed in a data‐poor environment. In‐depth interviews (57) were conducted with fishers, collecting ecological and socio‐economic information. A cartography of fishing grounds based on their knowledge was obtained, while the intensity of effort and catches was mapped by the monitoring of two vessels with low‐cost GPS data loggers. The 102 shore anglers and 248 recreational boats catch 8 t/year of European squid Loligo vulgaris and 11 t/year of common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis (11% of total catches on these species in the area). Shore anglers fish from 11 ports, while boat fishers use 14 fishing grounds (covering 30 km2). Most of the catches (86%) are landed by boats, and their CPUE is higher in the outer part of the Ría of Vigo. The use of fishers’ knowledge and cost‐effective monitoring is encouraged to obtain information for the management of MRF. Given the economic contribution of MRF (260,000 €/year in direct expenses), this activity should be considered in the regulations.

Angler travel distances: Implications for spatial approaches to marine recreational fisheries governance

Increasingly recreational fisheries are being managed as socioecological systems using spatially explicit and participatory place based approaches. Such approaches require considering the spatial dynamics of a resource (fish) as well as its users (anglers). While the former is comparatively well studied, very little empirical information exists regarding the spatial ranges of angler travel to fishing locations. To address this and ultimately inform spatial and place based management approaches, the statistical properties of angler travel were assessed in six popular marine recreational fisheries in Florida, USA. Expected angler travel distances differed among species, regions, and years, with most trips in certain fisheries (e.g., common snook) made by anglers residing in close proximity to the fishing site (< 30km), while anglers targeting other species (e.g., red snapper) usually traveled more than 200km from their residence to fish. In concert with literature, these results suggest that some fisheries may be better suited than others for more spatially explicit or place based approaches to management. More broadly, these results can be used to better identify and engage stakeholders in management, anticipate effects of spatially explicit management decisions, and assess relative importance of different fisheries for attracting out-of-region or state trips, which may be important for local economies.

Research and management priorities for Atlantic marine recreational fisheries in Southern Europe

Marine Recreational Fishing (MRF) is an important activity in Europe, with 9 million fishers and generating annually € 6 billion in direct expenditures. However, there is a lack of data and understanding of MRF in Europe, particularly in Southern countries, which prevents a number of fish stocks from being effectively assessed and managed. In November 2016, a participatory workshop on MRF was held in Vigo (Spain) to identify challenges and opportunities for data collection, and to diagnose key research gaps and management issues for MRF in the Southern European Atlantic. Experts from a wide range of disciplines (researchers, policy makers, fisheries managers and commercial and recreational fishers) highlighted that the management of MRF is a challenge due to complex and dispersed legal frameworks, with multiple administrations involved, and overlapping uses of space with commercial fishing, aquaculture, navigation and tourism, among others. The lack of strong and representative fishing associations hampers research and management initiatives. Effective communication between recreational fishers, researchers and fisheries managers is also lacking. Despite the ecological, social and economic relevance of MRF, there is no systematic and comprehensive collection of information on fishing effort, recreational catches, expenses, social profile and access conditions of European recreational fishers. These data would be useful to avoid biases in the assessment of recreational fisheries due to the great diversity of ecosystems, species and typologies of users. Strategic recommendations and research priorities were also identified to address knowledge gaps and are discussed in the context of the management of MRF across Europe.

Review of marine recreational fisheries regulations in Argentina

The effects of recreational fishing on marine stocks and ecosystems have raised global concern in recent years. In Argentina, Southwest Atlantic, angling, netting and spearfishing of coastal bony fishes, sharks, rays and chimaeras are very popular pastime activities with more than 50 years of history. Despite the perceived traditional and economic relevance of these activities in the country, marine recreational fisheries were largely unregulated, and no official fisheries monitoring programs at the national level have been ever put in place. Except for a few particular systems for which some catch-and-effort data were collected by research institutions and non-governmental organizations, no comprehensive surveys aimed at describing the ecological, social or economic aspects of these fisheries have been made. Here, an updated review of the regulations in place for marine recreational fisheries along the Argentine coastline is presented. Of the five coastal provinces encompassing ca. 8400km and about 20 latitude degrees (~36°S to 55°S) of coastline, only Buenos Aires province has a thorough legislation for its whole territory, which includes 15 protected areas. In the remaining provinces, the regulations for marine recreational fisheries are limited to a few protected areas (seven out of 37 coastal areas under provincial, national or shared jurisdiction). This lack of legislation encourages alleged recreational fishers to develop small-scale commercial fishing operations that are neither controlled nor monitored as such, contributing to the overexploitation of some key coastal stocks.

Estimating harvest and its uncertainty in heterogeneous recreational fisheries

Although some stocks are being severely exploited by recreational fishing, estimating the biomass extracted (harvest, H) by recreational fisheries is difficult, especially for marine recreational fisheries. One way to estimate H by recreational fisheries is to combine the fishing effort (E) with catch-per-unit-of-effort (CPUE) data. However, naively ignoring heterogeneity in E and CPUE may result in biased and imprecise estimates of H. We propose a framework to address three relevant heterogeneity levels: the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of recreational E, environmental effects on recreational CPUE, and the variability in angler skills (between-angler heterogeneity). Specifically, we combine (i) space-time model predictions of E (number of boats per km2) on the day scale (i.e., fishing trips), (ii) environmentally driven model predictions of daily catch (number of squid per fishing trip), and (iii) off- and on-site surveys to account for angler heterogeneity. The precision of the H estimates was assessed using bootstrap confidence intervals. This framework was applied to the recreational fishery for the squid Loligo vulgaris at Palma Bay (Mallorca Island, western Mediterranean). The estimated effort was 15,750 angler-fishing trips (95% CI: 13,086 to 18,569), which yielded an annual harvest of 20.6 tons (95% CI: 16.9–24.5). This harvest was estimated to represent 34% of the total commercial landings in Mallorca, which highlights the importance of recreational harvesting and the need to account for recreational fisheries to improve squid stock management. The framework proposed here provides a promising tool for estimating H in other heterogeneous recreational fisheries and may be the first step toward assessing the actual impact of recreational fisheries on squid populations.

Assessing the effectiveness of harvest tags in the management of a small-scale, iconic marine recreational fishery in Western Australia

Fisheries managers are increasingly required to develop regulatory frameworks to more effectively manage recreational catches in the marine environment. Although the limitations of conventional controls such as size and bag limits and restricted seasons are recognized, harvest tags that are commonly used to regulate hunting, are rarely applied in marine recreational fisheries. Following overfishing of snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) in Shark Bay, Western Australia, a broad range of management reforms were progressively introduced from 1998 onwards to limit recreational catches and assist stock recovery. Since 2003, these included a harvest tag system in Freycinet Estuary whereby a limited number of harvest tags were made available each year via a ballot. The effectiveness of harvest tags in terms of stock rebuilding and acceptance by recreational fishers was evaluated using: annual phone surveys of all harvest tag recipients between 2011 and 2013; analysis of compliance statistics collected between 2004 and 2015; and interviews with experienced compliance officers. The overall costs of administration and compliance were also assessed. The capacity of harvest tags to successfully constrain the total annual recreational catch contributed to the recovery of the snapper stock in Freycinet Estuary to management target levels within a 10–12 year timeframe. The majority of harvest tag recipients interviewed considered harvest tags were effective in the management of snapper; cost per tag was reasonable; and compliance in the fishery was high. High levels of compliance are essential if harvest tags are to provide a robust management tool to limit total catch and a useful reference frame for angler surveys. Harvest tags have considerable potential with other marine recreational fisheries where catch limits are required to rebuild and sustain valuable but vulnerable fish stocks.

Trade-offs between socioeconomic and conservation management objectives in stock enhancement of marine recreational fisheries

We used an integrated bio-economic model to explore the nature of tradeoffs between conservation of fisheries resources and their use for socioeconomic benefit, as realized through the stock enhancement of recreational fisheries. The model explicitly accounted for the dynamics of wild, stocked, and naturally recruited hatchery-type fish population components, angler responses to stocking, and alternative functional relationships that defined conservation and socioeconomic objectives. The model was set up to represent Florida’s red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) fishery as a case study. Stock enhancement produced strong trade-offs characterized by frontiers indicating that maximizing socioeconomic objectives could only be achieved at great losses to conservation objectives when the latter were based exclusively on abundance of wild-type fish. When naturally recruited hatchery-type fish were considered equivalent to wild fish in conservation value, this tradeoff was alleviated. Frontier shapes were sensitive to alternative assumptions regarding how conservation objectives were formulated, differential harvesting of stocked and wild-type fish, and potential inherent stakeholder satisfaction from the act of stocking. These findings make more explicit the likely opportunity costs associated with recreational stock enhancement and highlight the utility of trade-off frontiers for evaluating management actions.

Relationships between angling effort and fish abundance in recreational marine fisheries

AbstractRelationships between angling effort and fish abundance have critical implications for the resilience and management of recreational fisheries, but these relationships have rarely been assessed empirically. Here, angling effort was related to fish abundance in three marine recreational fisheries in Florida, USA, through a suite of regression and time series methods that accounted for socio‐economic and demographic variables. Overall, recreational angling effort was correlated with fish abundance, but further analyses provided little evidence of strong, causal relationships. Lack of strong relationships implies angling effort might increase in the future unrelated to fish abundance, a decoupling that could threaten the viability of fish populations in the absence of unpopular recreational effort limitation. The inability to establish more conclusive relationships between effort and fish abundance should motivate a future focus towards natural or manipulative experiments that may provide more powerful inferences.

Biosocioeconomic analysis of marine recreational fisheries: A comparative case study from the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey

This study analyzed the impact, added value and the social characteristic of the main Recreational Fishing (RF) modalities in two noteworthy Marine Protected Areas of Turkey, the sampling was carried out from December 2012 to March 2013. At each study site, Foça and Gökova MPAs, a fixed number of 130 fishers were randomly interviewed on fishers’ descriptors, fishing activity and associated costs. Descriptive indicators of recreational fishers by age and occupation were estimated by locations and fishing modalities. The results showed consistency between fishers ‘purchasing power and educational level and remarkable was the percentage of public servants among fishers, around 30%, with the exception of boat fishers in Foça (10%) where most were retirees (37.8%). A relevant percentage of fishers declared the sale of catch, maximum declared was in Foça boat fishers with a 96%. The results also were indicative that many of Foça boat fishers were retirees of the professional fishing sector but still commercializing their catch. As harvesting costs (5€/kg) were in most cases below the market value of the catch, the added value index of RF was negative. Furthermore, by selling the catch on the black market the RF fishers were creating illegal and unfair competition in the market with professional fishers. We conclude the RF in those areas cannot be classified exclusively as a leisure activity. We finally recommend the use of economic indicators such as RF index added value or harvest cost rather than absolute values in order better to understand the economics of RF.

Traditional management strategies fail to arrest a decline in the catch‐per‐unit‐effort of an iconic marine recreational fishery species with evidence of hyperstability

AbstractThe paucity of long‐term marine recreational fisheries data limits understanding of the effects of exploitation on target species. Long‐term catch‐per‐unit‐effort (CPUE) datasets for a large piscivorous carangid species, Lichia amia (L.), from 3 South African recreational fishery sectors were examined. Although standardised CPUE for all sectors showed an overall long‐term decline, there was considerable variability in trends between the recreational sectors and between datasets. Contrasting trends between competitive shore angling and general shore angling datasets were ascribed to hyperstability in competition CPUE data, which was most influenced by rapidly improving technology, techniques and communication networks amongst anglers. Month and locality were significant factors explaining the probability of catching L. amia. This suggests that the predictable aggregation behaviour of this species could further compound the observed CPUE hyperstability. Although the CPUE responded positively for 6 years after implementation of the first minimum size and bag limits, and for 1 year after the decommercialisation of the species, these regulations and their amendments failed to arrest a long‐term decline in CPUE despite ample evidence for hyperstability. Additional regulations, including a spatio‐temporal closure and the implementation of a voluntary regulation framework of catch and release, are recommended for this species.

Kelp Gulls (Larus dominicanus) killed and injured by discarded monofilament lines at a marine recreational fishery in northern Patagonia

Among marine debris, monofilament fishing lines often result in negative impacts on marine organisms. We characterized marine debris and incidence of lost and discarded monofilament lines along beaches used by recreational fishers, and report the impact of lines on Kelp Gulls (Larus dominicanus) at the Bahía San Blas protected area, site of one of the main shore-based recreational fisheries of the southwestern Atlantic. Over 55% of the marine debris recorded originated from recreational fishing activities. Balls of tangled monofilament lines were found at a rate of 40.5 items per km. A total of 27 adult Kelp Gulls were found entangled with monofilament. All individuals were tangled to vegetation within colony boundaries. Four of the gulls had a monofilament line protruding from the bill, showing that they may be also killed when trying to obtain bait. Our results indicate that lost or discarded monofilament lines in the Bahía San Blas recreational fishing area result in undesired impacts on coastal wildlife.

Potentials and Limitations of Stock Enhancement in Marine Recreational Fisheries Systems: An Integrative Review of Florida's Red Drum Enhancement

In this study, an integrative review of the potential for stock enhancement is conducted to support desirable management outcomes in marine recreational fisheries, focusing on the Florida, USA, red drum fishery as a case study. Here, stock enhancement is implicitly seen as a way of simultaneously achieving both ecological objectives of sustained wild fish populations and socioeconomic objectives of high fishing effort and/or catch rates. However, the review suggests that a fundamental tradeoff remains between these objectives in the short-term because stocking of hatchery fish is likely to result in at least partial displacement of wild fish through biological interactions as well as increased fishing pressure. Contrary to the perception of enhancement as a “quick fix,” successful use of the approach in the marine recreational fishery is likely to require sophisticated stock management and some adaptation in governance. In developing the enhancement, it will be necessary to address uncertainty in key attributes, specifically dynamics of recruitment, angler-effort responses, and stakeholder involvement. This may be achieved by combining quantitative modeling, monitoring, and stocking experiments in an active adaptive management framework to consider enhancement in the context of alternative management strategies. It is suggested that any interim enhancement should minimize ecological risk per socioeconomic benefit by stocking larger fish in areas where high fishing mortality limits abundance of wild fish. These conclusions are largely generalizable to other recreational enhancements, and this work serves as a model of rarely published a priori enhancement evaluation.

Unexpectedly high catch-and-release rates in European marine recreational fisheries: implications for science and management

Abstract Ferter, K., Weltersbach, M. S., Strehlow, H. V., Vølstad, J. H., Alós, J., Arlinghaus, R., Armstrong, M., Dorow, M., de Graaf, M., van der Hammen, T., Hyder, K., Levrel, H., Paulrud, A., Radtke, K., Rocklin, D., Sparrevohn, C. R., and Veiga, P. 2013. Unexpectedly high catch-and-release rates in European marine recreational fisheries: implications for science and management. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 1319–1329. While catch-and-release (C&amp;R) is a well-known practice in several European freshwater recreational fisheries, studies on the magnitude and impact of this practice in European marine recreational fisheries are limited. To provide an overview of the practice and magnitude of C&amp;R among marine recreational anglers in Europe, the existing knowledge of C&amp;R and its potential associated release mortality was collected and summarized. The present study revealed that in several European countries over half of the total recreational catch is released by marine anglers. High release proportions of &gt;60% were found for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), pollack (Pollachius pollachius), and sea trout (Salmo trutta) in at least one of the studied European countries. In the case of the German recreational Baltic Sea cod fishery, release proportions varied considerably between years, presumably tracking a strong year class of undersized fish. Reasons for release varied between countries and species, and included legal restrictions (e.g. minimum landing sizes and daily bag limits) and voluntary C&amp;R. Considering the magnitude of C&amp;R practice among European marine recreational anglers, post-release mortalities of released fish may need to be accounted for in estimated fishing mortalities. However, as the survival rates of European marine species are mostly unknown, there is a need to conduct post-release survival studies and to identify factors affecting post-release survival. Such studies could also assist in developing species-specific, best-practice guidelines to minimize the impacts of C&amp;R on released marine fish in Europe.