Recreational Angling Community Research Articles

Are recreational fishing guides role models for their clients?

Fishing guides are respected as opinion leaders of the recreational angling community, but little is known of their influence on angler behaviour. Given their social-standing, fishing guides may be perceived as role models by fishing clients – thereby potentially shaping the practices of many through their extensive networks of fishing clients. This influence may promote the adoption of best and/or worst environmental behaviours, depending on their individual knowledge, attitudes and actions. To understand if fishing guides are perceived to be role models by the recreational angling community, a digital survey containing a nine-question role model perception scale was designed to assess fishing clients’ attitudes towards fishing guides. The survey was designed to assess whether angling guides served the three role model functions proposed in the Motivational Theory of Role Modelling, which posits that role models function as Behavioural models, Representations of the Possible and Inspiration. Of the 492 fishing clients (27 countries), most agreed that fishing guides were competent, skilled, and worth emulating (91.1 %), suggesting they are perceived as Behavioural Models. Less agreed that fishing guides were Inspirational or Representations of the Possible (54.8 %), suggesting they are less likely to motivate anglers to adopt and/or pursue new goals. As Behavioural Models, fishing guide behavioural practices are likely to be emulated. These findings suggest that fisheries managers have an opportunity to influence general angler behaviour through focussed behavioural interventions with angling guides.

Freshwater turtle by-catch from angling in New Brunswick, Canada

Turtles are among the most threatened vertebrate taxa, with populations especially vulnerable to any increase in adult mortality. By-catch from freshwater angling, as a potential cause of turtle mortality is poorly documented and little understood. Here we document cases of turtle by-catch by recreational anglers in an urban park in New Brunswick and among the wider angling communities in the province. We also consider factors that may influence rates of hooking. Although we are unable to estimate turtle hooking frequency for the provincial recreational angling community as a whole, five of 75 (~7%) anglers interviewed in the urban park reported interactions with a turtle, with most reported incidents (75%) involving hooking. Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina) seem to be more prone to hooking than Eastern Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta picta). Although we conclude that turtle hooking by recreational anglers appears to be generally uncommon in New Brunswick, even apparently low by-catch rates may be sufficient to lead to population declines at heavily fished sites. The collection of additional data on turtle by-catch in the recreational fishery in Canada is warranted.

Long-term participation in collaborative fisheries research improves angler opinions on marine protected areas.

Recent marine spatial planning efforts, including the management and monitoring of marine protected areas (MPAs), increasingly focus on the importance of stakeholder engagement. For nearly 15 years, the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP) has partnered volunteer anglers with researchers, the fishing industry, and resource managers to monitor groundfishes in California’s network of MPAs. While the program has succeeded in generating sustained biological observations, we know little about volunteer angler demography or the impact of participation on their perceptions and opinions on fisheries data or MPAs. In this study we surveyed CCFRP volunteers to learn about (a) volunteer angler demographics and attitudes toward groundfish management and stock health, (b) volunteer angler motivations for joining and staying in the program, and (c) whether participation in the program influenced volunteer angler opinions on the quality of fisheries data used in resource management and the establishment of MPAs in California. CCFRP volunteers were older and had higher fishing avidity than average within the California recreational angling community. Many self-identified as more conservation-minded than their peers in the recreational fishing community and had positive views of California groundfish management and stock health. Participation in science and giving back to fisheries resources were major motivating factors in their decision to become and remain CCFRP volunteers. Angler opinions toward MPAs were more positive after volunteering with CCFRP. Those who had volunteered for seven or more years with CCFRP were more likely than not to gain a positive opinion of MPAs. Our survey results provide evidence that long-term engagement of stakeholders in collaborative research positively influences stakeholder opinions regarding marine resource management, and highlights CCFRP’s success in engaging citizen science stakeholders in collaborative fisheries research.

From endangered to sustainable: Multi‐faceted management in rivers and coasts improves Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) populations in Denmark

AbstractThe status of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., over the last decades has been of concern across its entire distribution area. Its anadromous nature exposes the species to human pressures in both freshwater and marine environments, and over long periods, thus exacerbating its decline. Given its value within the food industry, the recreational angling community as well as culturally, the status of Atlantic salmon is regarded as a matter of national and international conservation interest, providing great incentive for its management. The literature currently lacks specific examples of successful and unsuccessful management strategies and practices for Atlantic salmon populations at a broader scale. To address this, the present article describes how the multi‐faceted management approach taken for Danish Atlantic salmon, which included changes in legislation, stocking practices, habitat restoration, population genetics and barrier removals, successfully rehabilitated salmon populations in four major Danish rivers. Specific recommendations are provided for the successful management of Atlantic salmon elsewhere.

Keepemwet Fishing—An emerging social brand for disseminating best practices for catch-and-release in recreational fisheries

There is a growing body of catch-and-release (C&R) science showing that adjusting the way fish are caught, handled, and released can reduce impacts on individuals and populations. However, a major caveat is that C&R will be a more effective conservation tool if best practice guidelines stemming from the science are understood, embraced, and adopted by recreational anglers. In recognition of this, Keepemwet Fishing (KWF) has emerged as a nonpartisan movement to provide simple, clear, and accurate C&R guidelines that transcend species and subcultures within the recreational angling community. The foundations of the KWF movement are science-based best practices, clear translations of the science, and a diverse and growing set of stakeholder groups that are sharing the Keepemwet sentiment via social media and other communication channels. We highlight the power of this grassroots movement, as well as potential hurdles that KWF and other social brands will need to overcome to broaden their effectiveness in making C&R guidelines more accessible and appealing to the public. Given the apparent increase in bottom-up attempts to disseminate best practices to anglers, the lessons learned from the KWF movement have the potential to be of great benefit to other groups engaged in angler outreach related to best practices and broader recreational fisheries conservation.

Attitudes and perceptions influence recreational angler support for shark conservation and fisheries sustainability

Despite the perilous status of many shark populations, rallying support for their conservation has been challenging, due in part to both long held negative perceptions and desire for shark fisheries. Recreational anglers are often advocates of conservation and can act as valuable partners with resource managers in developing fisheries management and conservation strategies. However, understanding their attitudes and perceptions, particularly towards resource status and management, is essential to developing successful management strategies and predicting outcomes. As a case study for assessing the complex challenges of sustainable shark fisheries, Florida recreational anglers were surveyed to understand how attitudes and perceptions influenced their willingness to donate for shark 1) conservation and protection or 2) fisheries sustainability. Overall, recreational angler willingness to donate was 25.5%, but attitudes and perceptions helped explain dramatic divides. For instance, willingness to donate was only 6% among the subset of anglers that perceived a growing large coastal shark population as a threat to recreational fishing opportunities. Highest support for shark conservation was shown by anglers who value seeing sharks in the wild (41.4%), and even more so among individuals who occasionally target sharks while fishing recreationally (65.8%). Pervasive among anglers unwilling to donate was a perception that shark populations were increasing, and thus not in need of further protection. These findings illustrate attitudes and perceptions that challenge shark conservation and fisheries management, as well as the critical importance of engaging anglers when developing strategies that rely on the recreational angling community for support.

Effects of Air Exposure on Postrelease Mortality Rates of White Marlin Caught in the U.S. Offshore Recreational Fishery

AbstractWhite Marlin Kajikia albida are targeted by recreational fisheries in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Off the U.S. East Coast, the vast majority of White Marlin are released after capture. Federal regulations prohibit anglers from removing a White Marlin from the water unless the fish is to be retained; however, numerous photographs of anglers holding White Marlin out of the water are posted on the Internet each summer, demonstrating that there is considerable noncompliance with this management measure. To better understand the effect of air exposure on postrelease survival of White Marlin, we attached pop‐up satellite archival tags (PSATs; programmed to release after 30 d) to individuals that were caught on natural baits rigged with circle hooks and that were removed from the water for a period of 1 min (n = 6 fish), 3 min (n = 5 fish), or 5 min (n = 7 fish). We compared our results with those from a previous study in which PSATs were used to follow the fates of 59 White Marlin that were caught on circle hooks but not removed from the water. The proportion of postrelease mortalities increased with air exposure duration; the overall rate of postrelease mortality was significantly higher for White Marlin that were subjected to air exposure (33.3%) than for those that remained in the water (1.7%). These data provide strong support for the current U.S. regulation prohibiting the removal of a White Marlin from the water if the fish is to be released. Effective communication of the deleterious effects of air exposure on White Marlin should help to deter the practice of removing fish from the water among members of the recreational angling community, which has been supportive of other conservation measures for this species.Received January 13, 2016; accepted June 15, 2016 Published online September 30, 2016

Perceptions of recreational fisheries conservation within the fishing industry: Knowledge gaps and learning opportunities identified at east coast trade shows in the United States

The recreational angling community is comprised of diverse stakeholders, including the trade sector responsible for the manufacturing, distribution, and sales of tackle, boats, and clothing, angler-based travel, revenue-generating popular media, and angling services. Through marketing and promotion, fishing companies compete for customers by convincing anglers as to what success means when they go fishing. If the angling trade can influence the social norms in the recreational angling community, then this could hold true for norms related to the conservation of recreationally targeted fishes and their habitats. We questioned whether individuals working within the fishing trade are adequately informed about best practices for recreational fisheries conservation, since these perceptions could, in turn, influence the values portrayed in the marketing and promotion of fishing. For this study we surveyed fishing trade employees during five industry and consumer shows to evaluate their perceptions about recreational fisheries conservation and where they believe their consumers learn about these issues. Across events, respondents believed that commercial fishing and habitat loss were the greatest threats to recreational fisheries. Specific to the angling event, physical injury when handling (e.g., during hook removal) and duration of the fight were selected as having the greatest impacts on fish, with between 74 and 91% of respondents indicating that they felt impacts were species-specific. Respondents believed that their customers received information on best practices and conservation predominantly from peer-to-peer interactions, social media, and fishing magazines. They also indicated that one of the primary roles of the angling trade when it comes to recreational fisheries conservation is to convey best practices in marketing and promotion. Overall, the trade sector appears to be an important mechanism for reaching anglers, yet more work is needed to ensure that the conservation information they share is consistent with science-based best practice.

Eff icacy of angler catch data as a population and conservation monitoring tool for the f lagship Mahseer f ishes (Tor spp.) of Southern India

Abstract Mahseer (Tor spp.) are flagship fishes in South Asian rivers. Their populations are threatened through poaching and habitat disturbance, yet they are highly prized game fishes due to their large size, appearance and sporting qualities. The international recreational angling community has frequently been cited as playing a vital role in conserving these fishes while also providing economic benefit to poor rural communities. Owing to a lack of scientific data and the considerable challenges associated with monitoring fish populations in large monsoonal rivers, efforts to determine the long‐term trends in their populations has focused on sport‐fishing catch records. Here, catch data collected between 1998 and 2012 from Galibore, a former fishing camp on the River Cauvery, Karnataka, India, were analysed to determine the catch per unit effort (CPUE – by number and weight) as an indicator of relative fish abundance, along with the size structure of catches. This fishery operated a mandatory catch‐and‐release (C&R) policy, and provided the fish community with protection from illegal fishing. Between 1998 and 2012, 23 620 hours fishing effort were applied to catch and release 6161 mahseer, ranging in size from 1 to 104 lbs (0.45–46.8 kg) in weight. Across the period, CPUE in number increased significantly over time with a concomitant decrease in CPUE by weight, revealing strong recruitment in the population and a shift in population size structure. This suggests a strong response to the C&R policy and the reduction in illegal fishing, indicating that conservation strategies focusing on the beneficial and negative aspects of exploitation can be successful in achieving positive outcomes. These outputs from angler catch data provide insights into the mahseer population that were impossible to collect by any alternative method. They provide the most comprehensive analysis of a long‐term dataset specific to any of the mahseer species across their entire geographical range and demonstrate the value of organised angling as a conservation monitoring tool to enhance biological data, and inform conservation and fishery management actions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hooking injury, physiological status and short-term mortality of juvenile lemon sharks (Negaprion bevirostris) following catch-and-release recreational angling.

Sport fishing for sharks, including fishing with the intent to release, is becoming more prevalent within the recreational angling community. Common targets of recreational anglers are juvenile lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) that frequent shallow tropical nearshore habitats. In this study, we captured 32 juvenile lemon sharks (530-875 mm total length) with conventional angling gear (i.e. spinning rods, dead fish bait and 5/0 barbed circle hooks) from the coastal waters of Eleuthera, The Bahamas, to determine the consequences of capture for individual sharks. Each shark was examined for hooking injuries, blood sampled to quantify physiological disturbance, assessed for reflex impairment and then monitored to assess post-release behaviour and mortality. Four sharks (12.5%) died following release during the 15 min tracking period. Principal components (PC) analysis revealed four axes describing 66.5% of the variance for blood physiology parameters, total length and water temperature. The PC1 and PC3 scores, characterized by positive factor loadings for indicators of exercise-induced stress and blood ion concentrations, respectively, were significantly related to fight time but were not associated with short-term mortality. Short-term mortality was significantly related to factor scores for PC4 that loaded heavily for water temperature and total length. Ten sharks (31%) exhibited impaired reflexes, with loss of bite reflex being most prevalent. Sharks that died had the following characteristics: (i) they had two or more impaired reflexes; (ii) they were hooked in the basihyal; (iii) they exhibited no movement after the initial bout of directional swimming; and (iv) they experienced high water temperatures (i.e. >31°C). Collectively, these results indicate that for juvenile lemon sharks inhabiting tropical flats, fight time can influence the degree of physiological disturbance, while water temperature contributes to the likelihood of survival following release.

Implementation of a marine reserve has a rapid but short‐lived effect on recreational angler use

Changes in human behavior are a precursor to measurable impacts of no-take marine reserves. We investigated changes in recreational fishing site selection in response to the 2005 announcement of enforcement in a marine reserve in the Gulf of California, Mexico. We used a novel data set of daily self-reported boating destinations from emergency rescue logbooks for a recreational angling community from 2000 to 2008. Because the reserve system has no experimental control, we modeled the data two ways to test for robustness to model specification. We tested for changes in human fishing behavior with regression and fit a fleet-level discrete choice model to project a. counterfactual scenario. The counterfactual is the statistically constructed ex post expectation of the human behavior we would have observed if the reserve never existed. We included month and year fixed effects in our models to account for seasonal and interannual fluctuations in fishing behavior and catch rates. We detected a decrease in reserve use compared to the counterfactual, indicating that the reserve rapidly experienced a decrease in visitation. However, the reserve's effect to reduce trips diminished with time. These results indicate that the reserve is unlikely to meet its ecological goals without institutional changes that enhance compliance. This illustrates the value of human use data to understanding the processes underlying marine reserve function. We suggest that managers should consider human use with the same frequency, rigor, and tools as they do fishery stocks. Marine reserves directly affect people, and understanding human behavioral responses to marine reserves is an important step in marine reserve management.

Engaging the Recreational Angling Community to Implement and Manage Aquatic Protected Areas

Recreational angling is a popular leisure activity, the quality of which is greatly dependent on fish abundance and well-functioning aquatic ecosystems. Aquatic protected areas (APAs) are used to help maintain and even restore aquatic systems and their associated biota, including fish species that are popular with recreational anglers. Paradoxically, the use of APAs has been a source of much contention and conflict between members of the recreational angling community and those interested in or mandated to protect aquatic resources on the basis of the interests of multiple stakeholder groups. The angling community is concerned about the loss of fishing opportunities and effectiveness of APAs. Although it is still unclear whether establishment of APAs alone can effectively protect aquatic resources, actively including the recreational angling community in the design, implementation, and management of APAs will help ensure the values of this rather substantial user group are incorporated into aquatic conservation strategies. Conversely, the probability of increasing the sustainability of recreational angling and related economies will be greatest if recreational angler groups remain open minded to both short-term and long-term goals of fisheries conservation strategies, including the use of APAs.

Voluntary catch‐and‐release can generate conflict within the recreational angling community: a qualitative case study of specialised carp, Cyprinus carpio, angling in Germany

Abstract Because of low fishing mortality that results from catch‐and‐release angling for carp, Cyprinius carpio L, it is counterintuitive that voluntary catch‐and‐release (vC&R) of this species induces conflicts within the angling community. Originally motivated by animal welfare concerns, vC&R is today probably as or more strongly criticised within the angling community itself than it is intersectorally. This study reviews the institutional treatment of C&R in Germany and explores within a sociological conflict model the conflicting views surrounding vC&R, specifically in specialised carp angling. It is argued that the intrasectoral (i.e. among angler groups) conflicts around vC&R fishing may divide the recreational angling community, which in turn may weaken the coherence of the entire angling sector. Restricting the opportunity to practice vC&R also can have important social and biological implications, which suggest a rethinking on the current treatment of vC&R recreational angling in Germany.