Recreational Fishing Research Articles

Pressures on Egyptian Red Sea fisheries from the artisan fishers’ perspective

The Egyptian Red Sea (ERS) supports artisanal, commercial and recreational fisheries, managed using a summertime closure, not applied to recreational fishing. Stock status is little known and management options are severely limited. To inform future management, we report the results of a questionnaire survey of artisan fishers from four Red Sea ports, collecting basic socioeconomic and fisheries data: fleet characteristics, self-reported landings, plus attitudes towards current management. Relationships among catches, technical and social categories and categorised attitudes were analysed using ordinal and multinomial logistic regressions. Median income of ERS artisanal fishers was 54% of the mean income from work in rural Egypt in 2020. Almost all respondents reported declining catches (61% blamed “overfishing”) and most were pessimistic (43% expected to remain fishing in 10 years time). The seasonal closure was poorly supported by artisanal fishers: 75% claimed it contributed to declining resources. The timing of the closure, intended to protect spawning fish, aligned with published spawning seasons for some, but not all important species. 66% of fishers identified this mismatch as the reason for policy failure. High dissatisfaction rates risk non-compliance: e.g. 23% of those interviewed switched to ‘recreational’ fishing during the closed season. Most artisan fishers of the ERS are in a precarious economic position, facing a declining resource, under management that few support, with concerns about the long term future for their livelihood. We suggest transition to a participatory approach with data-driven co-management as a long term solution.

Assessing the Recreational Fishers and their Catches based on Social Media Platforms: Privacy and Ethical Data Analysis Considerations

Social Media (SM) can offer insights to track recreational Fishing (Rf); Many Limitations Hinder Its Practical Application. The proportion and characteristics of RFs that share their catches remain unidentified. The objective was to enhance the surveillance abilities of RF by utilizing SM information. This study focuses on the sharing economy information transmission, network optimization of SM platforms, and privacy protection issues during data transmission. The study starts with the data transmission characteristics in SM platforms, analyzes the data ethics in SM information transmission from the perspectives of natural and economic data attributes, and then focuses on the privacy protection principles in network information transmission. Then, a privacy protection scheme based on a locally sensitive hash algorithm is constructed, and finally, an information transmission scheme and method optimization based on a network optimization module are proposed. The research gathered data using physical (face-to-face) surveys and digital (email) surveys to define marine RF that post catches on online platforms (“sharers”), together with additional demographic and fishing data. A comparative analysis was conducted on the computational convergence and accuracy of different privacy protection methods, and the optimal rule framework for data privacy protection was discussed. The observation results show that the efficiency of information transmission using the Minhash-SSNR method is slightly inferior to that using the OSNR-SSNR method. Minhash technology is based on a similarity comparison of dimensionality-reduced data. This leads to data causing the initially highly similar two sets of lists to be misjudged as not having enough similarity, thereby reducing some potential information dissemination opportunities and affecting the efficacy of information transmission. It can be seen that the Minhash-SSNR strategy can effectively send information to nodes with high similarity, preventing excessive information duplication within the system. Although the Minhash-SSNR strategy has a certain degree of decline in information transmission efficiency, it accounts for only about 5% compared to the OSNR-SSNR strategy, ensuring the essential operational stability of SM opportunity networks without significant impact. With few learning and training times, the network information transmission optimization module proposed in this study quickly achieved a lower exponential error. As the number of training sessions gradually increases, the exponential error of the network information transmission optimization module in this study is small, and the prediction accuracy of the method is high. RFs who captured a prize, iconic, or symbolic species tended to discuss their catches more. This research signifies significant progress in incorporating SM information to oversee RFs.

Marshes to mangroves: Residential surveys reveal perceived wetland trade-offs for ecosystem services

Coastal landscapes are rapidly changing due to both climate change and the decisions of waterfront landowners. For instance, the climate-driven encroachment of woody mangrove species into grassy marshland areas is predicted to impact coastal ecosystems, with consequences for the ecosystem services these landscapes provide to people. However, there is a dearth of knowledge concerning coastal resident perceptions of the effects of mangrove expansion on wetlands and their ecosystem services, which may impact residents’ behavior around shorelines and landscape-level patterns. We surveyed waterfront residents in the northern Gulf of Mexico (USA) to understand perceptions of the relative performance of marshes and mangroves to deliver fisheries ecosystem services. Residential-scale shoreline condition and preference, recreational fishing activity, geography, and demographics were evaluated as potential predictors of resident perceptions through non-parametric comparisons across groups and ordered logit modeling. Significant predictors included area of residence, marsh shoreline condition, marsh shoreline preference, fishing frequency, and household income. Florida residents (where mangroves are most prevalent) and frequent recreational fishing participants exhibited stronger preference for mangroves. Unexpectedly, residents with marsh currently present on their shoreline also perceived that mangroves were better at delivering fisheries ecosystem services than marshes. Considering the important role that coastal residents play in shoreline management decisions, these results demonstrate how coastal resident attitudes may drive or mediate climate-driven processes in ways that are not evident by examining environmental conditions alone. Understanding social-ecological shifts due to climate change will be important to inform effective landscape management that promotes resilience in coastal ecosystems and societies.

Spiny lobster recreational fisheries in Australia and New Zealand: An overview of regulations, monitoring, assessment and management

Spiny (rock) lobsters occur globally and, although harvest is dominated by commercial fisheries, it is important to account for recreational harvest in stock assessments and fisheries management. This paper provides a contemporary review of recreational fishing for five spiny lobster species in Australia and New Zealand. Each jurisdiction has established approaches for collecting data which best meet their information needs (telephone-diary or telephone-recall surveys, charter logbooks, tag reporting). Jurisdictions with specific spiny lobster licences (Western Australia, Tasmania) or mandatory reporting (charter logbooks in Western Australia, tag reporting in Victoria) use these registers as a sampling frame for annual reporting of participation, fishing effort, catch (numbers) and harvest (tonnes). All other jurisdictions use a general fishing licence or general population sampling frame for telephone-diary surveys to provide periodic reporting of catch and harvest. Annual participation in spiny lobster recreational fishing was highest in Western Australia (35,236 ± SE 626 fishers in 2022–23), followed by Tasmania (13,715 ± SE 1067 fishers in 2022–23) and Victoria (5516 fishers in 2020–21). Annual recreational harvest of all spiny lobster species, combined for the most recent data collection period in each jurisdiction, was 830 tonnes; consisting mostly of Western Rock Lobster (Panulirus cygnus) from Western Australia and Southern Rock Lobster (Jasus edwardsii) from Tasmania and New Zealand. This review illustrates the various spatial scales of monitoring, reporting and assessment in each jurisdiction. All monitoring provides information on catch and harvest, with some also reporting participation, effort, carapace length and non-catch related variables. The designs underlying these approaches vary from probability-based (opt-out) and census (mandatory), and it is important to understand the benefits and inherent biases of each. Understanding the parallels between jurisdictions offers valuable insights into how to cost-effectively monitor spiny lobster recreational fisheries and integrate this data into stock assessment and harvest strategies to support sustainable fisheries into the future.

Differences in fisher demographics and fishing behaviour from concurrent phone‐recall and smartphone app surveys of recreational angling in south‐western Australia

AbstractTraditional methods for collecting robust samples of recreational effort and catch data from offsite mail or telephone surveys are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. Smartphone applications (apps) that allow recreational fishers to report their effort and catch are a potentially viable data collection tool, but may be biased. We evaluated demographics, effort, and catch of freshwater anglers in south‐west Western Australia by comparing independent data from concurrent phone‐recall and app‐diary surveys for a 12‐month period in 2017–2018. Survey modes differed, with higher proportions of app respondents angling in freshwater and being avid anglers. For both survey modes, unweighted mean effort (days fished) was higher in dams than rivers, but was higher from the phone‐recall survey for dams and rivers. The unweighted distribution of kept and released catches (number of fish per angler) of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and redfin (Perca fluviatilis) were similar between survey modes, with higher retention of redfin and higher release of rainbow trout. Kept and released rates of freshwater cobbler (Tandanus bostocki) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) were less common in both survey modes. Lower response rates and higher survey participation by avid anglers (≥20 days per year) from the app‐diary survey may bias survey data. Such bias needs to be addressed when using digital data collection methods, along with improving recruitment and retention of app participants.

Stakeholder Engagement as a Core Component of Recreational Marine Fisheries Research, Education, and Conservation

Effective modern conservation depends on active stakeholder participation. Although stakeholder engagement is increasing, the extent of this engagement and the successful application of outcomes to science and management varies regionally and among types of fisheries. A collaborative model that emphasizes knowledge coproduction with stakeholders better identifies research needs and conservation threats, and influences research and policy outcomes. Stakeholder integration can be facilitated by nongovernment organizations, such as boundary organizations. Bonefish and Tarpon Trust is a science‐based, conservation organization founded in 1998 by recreational fishers and fishing guides that focuses on marine recreational fisheries in the Caribbean Sea and western North Atlantic Ocean. The Trust engages fishers directly, incorporating their knowledge and perspectives to identify conservation concerns, shape research, contribute to data collection, and disseminate information, and work with resource managers and scientific researchers to address conservation and management needs. This approach is demonstrated in case studies that show integration of recreational fishers in science, assessment of conservation threats, and application of findings to management for the recreational flats fishery in the Caribbean Sea and western North Atlantic Ocean, in the context of broader efforts of stakeholder collaboration toward actionable science to inform management.

Temporal-Spatial Influences on Atlantic Bluefin Tuna CPUE in Recreational Fishery in the Aegean Sea: A Generalized Additive Model Approach

The Thunnus thynnus, a sought-after fish in recreational fishing, demands sustainable management due to its migratory nature. However, the lack of data on the impact of recreational fishing hampers understanding. This study aims to address this gap using Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) data from fishing contests on the Urla Peninsula (2016-2022). Findings revealed a yearly influence on CPUE, with the mean at 5.56±0.49 Kg·day-1. The peak was in 2018 with 13.98 Kg·day-1. Individual catches ranged from 305 to 10.45 Kg. 'Catch' was 21 times more prevalent than 'Catch and Release.' More catches occurred in the southern area, possibly due to tuna fattening cages. The study showed a yearly influence, but the dataset is insufficient to fully understand the environmental variables' impact. Despite the limitations, the potential of this data as a future benchmark for recreational fishing efforts is significant.

Taking stock: assessing Rhode Island recreational angler conservation ethic and coastal identity

ABSTRACT Fisheries management in the United States requires managing the actions of both commercial and recreational fishers in order to maintain its efficacy. To maintain sustainable fisheries, recreational fisheries management relies on individuals’ ethical behaviors and assumptions of their compliance with regulations. This mixed methods study assessed Rhode Island recreational anglers’ conservation ethic in relation to their coastal identities. The results show a positive correlation between ethic and coastal identity among anglers, and evidence that family members and other mentors play a significant role in the development of both coastal identity and angling ethic. We conclude with recommendations of communication strategies that fisheries managers can utilize to highlight anglers’ personal identification with coastal areas in order to encourage strong conservation ethic, and thus sustainable angling behaviors.

How quota cuts, recreational fishing, and predator conservation can shape coastal commercial fishery efforts

How quota cuts, recreational fishing, and predator conservation can shape coastal commercial fishery efforts

Recreational boat anglers’ perceptions on the sustainable development of marine recreational fishing in Taiwan

Recreational boat anglers’ perceptions on the sustainable development of marine recreational fishing in Taiwan

Variation in the Health Status of the Mediterranean Gorgonian Forests: The Synergistic Effect of Marine Heat Waves and Fishing Activity.

Over the past thirty years, the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata in the Mediterranean Sea has faced increasing threats, including heat waves and human activities such as artisanal and recreational fishing. Epibiosis on damaged gorgonian colonies is generally used as an indirect indication of stressed conditions. The density and height of P. clavata and the percentage of colonies affected by epibiosis and entangled in lost fishing gear were monitored to investigate the phenomenon and its trend over time in the Ligurian Sea. Analyses were based on transects collected during ROV campaigns between 2015 and 2022 at depths of 33-90 m. A strong correlation was observed between fishing efforts in the study area and the level of epibiosis. Maximal percentages of colonies affected by epibiosis and entanglement were recorded at depths of 50-70 m. Temporally, marine heat waves before 2019 were identified as the primary cause of damage to P. clavata. The decrease in epibiosis percentages after 2019, despite the 2022 heat wave, may be due to a quick recovery ability of the populations and a reduction in fishing activities during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Long-term monitoring programmes are essential to understand the changes in marine benthic communities exposed to different stressors.

Trait Composition and Assemblage Structure Analyses of Lacustrine Fishes: Synthesizing a Proposal for Better Fishing Practices

Fish provide ecosystem services and contribute to human well-being through fishing. In Chile, subsistence fishing provides food to local communities, whereas recreational fishing contributes to economic income via tourism. In the Lanalhue coastal lake basin, unregulated subsistence fishing and formal recreational fishing primarily target large fish species to ensure satisfactory catches and food provision. However, the development of unplanned fishing activities and lack of scientific knowledge can lead to socioecological conflicts and tension between users. To address this issue, this study focuses on improving fishing practices through the analysis of fish assemblages of the Lanalhue lake basin. The life cycle traits of each fish species were analyzed, as well as their abundance and biomass in each habitat. Twelve fish species were identified, and their distribution and abundance explain the differences in fish assemblage composition and structure among habitats. To promote better fishing practices, we propose four target species and specific management actions. These include defining fishing seasons, delineating fishing sites, and establishing fishing quotas. This approach, considering both community structure and functional aspects of fish assemblages, can serve as a valuable guide for developing sustainable fishing practices in the Lanalhue coastal lake basin.

Life stage and vaccination shape the gut microbiome of hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) intended for river stocking

Microbiomes play an essential role in promoting host health and fitness in fishes, but the factors driving variation in gut microbiomes among individuals are not fully recognized. Understanding the biological and environmental factors influencing variation in the gut microbiome in fishes is needed to link microbiome composition to host physiology and potentially design manipulations to improve rearing success in fisheries and aquaculture. In this study, we characterized the gut microbiomes of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), a globally important species in commercial aquaculture and recreational fishing, considering life stage, vaccination status, and hatchery origin. Microbiomes diverged between hatchery sub-adults (age-0 parrs) and wild adults, with sub-adults exhibiting higher diversity and more similar microbiome communities when compared to adults. The diversity and composition of gut microbiomes did not differ between groups of adults that were reared in two different hatcheries and sampled from the wild. We also found that oral vaccines against bacterial kidney disease (BKD) reduced gut microbial diversity within individual sub-adult salmon, driving increased differentiation of gut microbial communities among individuals. Unvaccinated sub-adults displayed a stable core gut microbiome that was greatly reduced upon vaccination for BKD. Our results suggest that life stage is an essential factor shaping the gut microbiome of Atlantic salmon, likely driven by differences in habitat and diet, and that BKD vaccination can lead to a rapid disruption of the gut microbiome. Conditions experienced in the hatchery environment appear to have a strong influence on host gut microbiomes, but differences at early life stages may be lost due to environmental factors experienced in the wild. The plasticity of the gut microbiome throughout the life of individuals may have important implications for understanding host health, with potential applications for improving the rearing and reintroduction success of the ecologically and economically important Atlantic salmon.

Place meanings of shore recreational fishers in the urban fringe

AbstractWhile recreational fishers recognize the many benefits of their practice, there is less recognition of these benefits by decision-makers in natural resource management. Fisheries motivations and benefits have not been sufficiently captured in urban and urban/suburban interface (urban fringe) areas. To help address this gap, this work captures fisheries motivations and benefits in the urban fringe of Rhode Island using a place meaning methodology. In-person interviews were conducted in Spanish and English with anglers who use public access sites in the urban fringe near Providence, Rhode Island. This area was found to support diverse users with needs for access, suitable water quality, and safety. Mental and physical health benefits were also found. The results inform fisheries management and landscape planning via a greater understanding of the conceptualization of coastal spaces and suggestions for future attributes of coastal spaces. Future directions to explore include the relationship between place meanings and well-being, the relationship between place meanings and fishing motivations, and gathering place meanings across diverse users and locations. Understanding recreational fishing motivations and benefits in the urban fringe informs fisheries and coastal management decision-making under potential landscape changes or fishery stock decline.

Existing datasets uncover complex interactions driving catches of a data‐poor recreational fishery in South Australia

AbstractUnderstanding drivers of effort and catch is important for sustainable management of recreational fisheries. For the Pipi (Latona deltoides) fishery in South Australia as a case study, publicly available datasets on fisher demography, market forces and internet connectivity improved understanding of fisher motivations and capabilities, identified different historical periods in the fishery and addressed temporal gaps in effort and catch estimates from on‐site surveys. Most variables were correlated with recreational effort and catch estimates from on‐site surveys and principal component analysis identified 2013–2014, 2015–2018 and 2019–2022 as distinct periods in the Pipi fishery. Results corroborated studies and anecdotal information that suggested declining availability and higher prices of local, commercially caught Pipi, and reduced imports of bivalves from Asia that previously supplied the South Australian bait market. Reduced availability and higher prices of Pipi likely motivated recreational fishers to gather their own bait to increase catch over the years. Similarly, increased internet and smartphone access and increased numbers of utility vehicles aided recreational catch efficiency of Pipi. Effective management of recreationally harvested resources requires understanding of external processes that drive fisher motivations and capabilities, particularly for stocks that are shared among fisheries. The need for improved data on fisher behaviour for management of recreational fisheries can be addressed by leveraging external information from available datasets. We recommend that the temporal gap between surveys should be less than 5 years, supplemented by analysing behavioural information collected from fishers during interviews.

Incipient special interest tourism: Sea angling as recreational sport in South Africa

Literature on special interest tourism has been expanding over the past 25 years. Although the growth of research interest and scholarship is relatively recent, the phenomenon of special interest tourism is not new and many of its forms enjoy a long history. Nevertheless, most existing international scholarship concentrates on contemporary issues. Against this background the aim is provide an alternative historical perspective on special interest tourism. Archival sources are used to analyse the evolution of sea angling as a recreational sport and incipient form of special interest tourism in South Africa. Arguably, sea fishing was a tourism asset and contributed to coastal resort development. In addition, as far back as the 1920s and 1930s tourism promotion in South Africa related to potential opportunities linked to special interests such as coastal recreational fishing.

Interaction between coastal birds and recreational fisheries in Argentine: Incorporating the social dimension to improve effectiveness of conservation and management measures in a key estuarine reserve

Marine recreational fishing in Argentina is an activity with a high socioeconomic impact. Its effects on the ecosystem have been poorly explored, for example, impacts of anglers on coastal birds. This study assessed perceptions and feelings of anglers towards their interaction with coastal birds, with the ultimate goal of generating information of socioecological value to be incorporated into national conservation instruments. A total of 240 structured questionnaires were conducted on active recreational fishers from the Mar Chiquita Reserve, Argentina. Main motivations to visit the fishing site expressed by respondents were the fishing quality and the peaceful and natural features of the reserve. Most anglers knew about the protected status of the site and have seen coastal birds during their fishing day, considering them to be beneficial to the ecosystem. Anglers observed coastal birds feeding on discards frequently; birds stealing the bait or the catch at moderate frequency; and birds entangled in fishing lines rarely. Most anglers indicated the occurrence of interaction with coastal birds during their activities, and expressed sadness when spotting a bird entangled in a fishing line. The information that emerged from this study could be used to develop informational strategies, for example guidelines for responsible fishing and signage aimed to inform anglers about the potential impacts of their interaction with coastal birds.

Developing U.S. West Coast recreational fishing community measures: Applying an index approach in the context of COVID-19 and social vulnerability

Despite the socio-economic importance of recreational fishing across many coastal communities, a well-defined conceptualization for place-based recreational fishing communities has remained noticeably absent across the U.S. West Coast. Following the framework of natural-resource dependence, this study constructs and evaluates recreational fishing indices, which serve as tools for assessing the involvement and impact of recreational fishing within different communities at the scale of the Census Designated Place. Components of the indices are selected to construct an engagement index of the overall economic activity related to recreational fishing, while a reliance index considers engagement per capita. The indices were then conceptually validated through correlation analyses with proxies for participation and interest. Temporal variations in both indices were evaluated in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic through a series of mixed-linear models, providing the first detailed assessment of the pandemic's impact on recreational fishing activity across the region. Despite shifts in individual angler participation and interest, the indices remained stable, with engagement declining following the pandemic. Additionally, the communities are evaluated with regard to their social vulnerability, finding communities with higher engagement as less vulnerable than those with higher reliance. Overall, this work provides valuable insights for identifying and assessing recreational fishing communities, potentially informing more sustainable and socially equitable management approaches.

The first confirmed record of Indo-Pacific Tarpon Megalops cyprinoides (Megalopidae) from the Red Sea

The occurrence of Megalops cyprinoides (Megalopidae) in the Red Sea has been confirmed through the collection of two specimens by recreational fishers at freshwater inputs in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Meristic and morphometric characters are provided, complemented by molecular COI sequences, which confirm their identification as M. cyprinoides. These molecular findings also indicate a widespread monophyletic lineage. The limited availability of freshwater inputs to the Red Sea likely restricts suitable habitats for M. cyprinoides, contributing to its low population size in the region and its previous absence from regional ichthyological records.

Recreational fishing in the lower basin of the Santa Cruz river(Patagonia, Argentina) in the face of damming scenarios

The Steelhead ecotype (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) have promoted a recreational fishery in the Santa Cruz river, the last large free flowing river of Patagonia. However, two dams are being built upstream in the middle course, potentially affecting the life cycle of these anadromous salmonids. The study describes the dynamics of the recreational fishing of the Santa Cruz river around Piedrabuena city and anglers perceptions, discussing its trends according to possible river connectivity scenarios. The fishery was assessed through a monthly year-round field sampling from April 2018 to April 2019, developing instantaneous angler counts, discriminating fishing methods, effort, and catch per unit effort; also, in situ interviews were used to collect information on anglers’ motivations and perceptions. In addition, information on fishing tournaments was used. Three fishing zones (FZ) were identified near Piedrabuena city: FZ-1, located downstream where anglers used baited hook and line to catch the native marine Patagonian blenny (Eleginops maclovinus); FZ-2, located in the town where baited hook and line, spinning, and fly-cast are used to catch Patagonian blenny and salmonids; FZ-3 located upstream the town, where fishing effort was mainly directed to salmonids employing spinning and fly-cast. Fishing effort showed a seasonal pa�ern with high values from March to May and September to October, agreeing with Steelhead and Chinook salmon runs, respectively. The most relevant motivations for anglers were nonoriented catch variables. Anglers preferred the capture of salmonids over native species, considering dams to be a major threat to fishery. Although a postdamming scenario could allow the adult salmonids to migrate upstream, the current reproduction grounds of Steelhead will be flooded, and juveniles and adults of both species will be hindered in their downstream migration to sea. These aspects seem to seriously compromise the future of these unique fisheries.