Decline in angler use despite increased catch rates: Anglers’ response to the implementation of a total catch-and-release regulation

Johnston, Fiona D.; Arlinghaus, Robert; Stelfox, Jim D.; Post, John R.

doi:10.1016/j.fishres.2011.04.006

Cited by 41 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…Zwirn et al (2005) argue that catch and release fisheries can contribute both to conservation targets as well as economically via angling tourism. However, there is evidence that a mandatory catch and release policy can lead to sharp declines in angler participation, which can have a detrimental economic impact (Johnston et al, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sea Bass Angling in Ireland: A Structural Equation Model of Catch and Effort

Grilli

Curtis

Hynes

et al. 2018

Ecological Economics

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Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Abstract: The relationship between angling effort and catch is well-recognised, in particular that effort influences catch rates. But increased catch, which can be considered an attribute of fishery quality, may influence effort in terms of number of fishing trips. This suggests bi-directional feedback between catch and effort. In many travel cost applications little attention has been given to this endogeneity problem. In this paper we expand the application of structural equation models to address this issue by jointly estimating demand (effort) and catch functions. Using a cross-section dataset of sea bass anglers we propose two separate joint models. First, we include expected catch as an explanatory variable in the demand equation. In the second, we reverse the causality and use the expected number of fishing days as a covariate in the catch function. The two approaches produce similar model estimates, and perform better at predicting anglers' catch and effort than standard models. The findings confirm that 'catch & release' does not curtail fishing activity and that sea bass angling is highly valued. Furthermore higher catches result more days fished, on average in a 2:1 ratio. Whereas on average, an additional fishing day results in 3-4 additional bass caught. Terms of use: Documents in

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sea Bass Angling in Ireland: A Structural Equation Model of Catch and Effort

Grilli

Curtis

Hynes

et al. 2018

Ecological Economics

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“…However, catch is often not the primary motivation for angling (Driver and Knopf, 1976;Fedler and Ditton, 1994) and the decision to move to another lake may be related to other noncatch-related factors (Johnson and Carpenter, 1994;Hunt, 2005;Post et al, 2008;Johnston et al, 2010;Hunt et al, 2011). For example, Johnston et al (2011) observed that trout anglers were not attracted to high-catch-rate fisheries and they suggested that angler behaviour is complex and may be strongly influenced by harvest regulations. In our study, regulations were not a confounding factor as all lakes within the Fremont Lake complex had identicial harvest regulations and we observed that angling effort tended to be concentrated on lakes with relatively greater CPUE, probably driven by either previous experience angling at the Fremont lakes or through word of mouth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Angler effort and catch within a spatially complex system of small lakes

et al. 2014

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a b s t r a c tSpatial layout of waterbodies and waterbody size can affect a creel clerk's ability to intercept anglers for interviews and to accurately count anglers, which will affect the accuracy and precision of estimates of effort and catch. This study aimed to quantify angling effort and catch across a spatially complex system of 19 small (<100 ha) lakes, the Fremont lakes. Total (±SE) angling effort (hours) on individual lakes ranged from 0 (0) to 7,137 (305). Bank anglers utilized 18 of the 19 lakes, and their mean (±SE) trip lengths (hours) ranged from 0.80 (0.31) to 7.75 (6.75), depending on the waterbody. In contrast, boat anglers utilized 14 of the 19 lakes, and their trip lengths ranged from 1.39 (0.24) to 4.25 (0.71), depending on the waterbody. The most sought fishes, as indexed by number of lakes on which effort was exerted, were anything (17 of 19 lakes), largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides (15 of 19 lakes), and channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus (13 of 19 lakes). Bluegill Lepomis machrochirus, crappie Pomoxis spp., and largemouth bass were caught most frequently across the lakes, but catch rates varied considerably by lake. Of the 1,138 parties interviewed, most parties (93%) visited a single lake but there were 77 (7%) parties that indicated that they had visited multiple lakes during a single day. The contingent of parties that visited more than one lake a day were primarily (87%) bank anglers.. The number of lake-to-lake connections made by anglers visiting more than one waterbody during a single day was related to catch rates and total angling effort. The greater resolution that was achieved with a lake specific creel survey at Fremont lakes revealed a system of lakes with a large degree of spatial variation in angler effort and catch that would be missed by a coarser, system-wide survey that did not differentiate individual lakes.

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“…More research is needed to evaluate why angling effort dynamics vary to understand the shape of fishing effort responses to changes in fish abundance and other fishery attributes (sensu Carpenter et al 1994;Post et al 2008;Johnston et al 2011;Hunt et al 2011;Martin & Pope 2011). More research is needed to evaluate why angling effort dynamics vary to understand the shape of fishing effort responses to changes in fish abundance and other fishery attributes (sensu Carpenter et al 1994;Post et al 2008;Johnston et al 2011;Hunt et al 2011;Martin & Pope 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Canadian rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), northern pike, Esox lucius L. and lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush (Walbaum), recreational fisheries near urban areas have been overfished to the point that stocks could only be sustained by stocking or highly restrictive harvest regulations (Parkinson et al 2004;Post et al 2008). Similarly, a Canadian bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus (Suckley), population collapsed in response to recreational fishing, but populations rebounded quickly after a total catchand-release policy and a natural bait ban displaced harvest-oriented anglers away from the fishery (Johnston et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamic angling effort influences the value of minimum‐length limits to prevent recruitment overfishing

Allen

Ahrens

Hansen

et al. 2012

Fisheries Management Eco

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Recruitment overfishing occurs when stocks are fished to a level where recruitment declines proportionally with adult abundance. Although typically considered a commercial fishery problem, recruitment overfishing can also occur in freshwater recreational fisheries. This study developed an age‐structured model to determine if minimum‐length limits can prevent recruitment overfishing in black crappie, Pomoxis nigromaculatus (LeSueur), and walleye, Sander vitreus (Mitchill) fisheries considering angling effort response to changes in fish abundance. Simulations showed that minimum‐length limits prevented recruitment overfishing of black crappie and walleye, but larger minimum‐length limits were required if angler effort showed only weak responses to changes in fish abundance. Low angler‐effort responsiveness caused fishing mortality rates to remain high when stock abundance declined. By contrast, at high effort responsiveness, anglers left the fishery in response to stock declines and allowed stocks to recover. Angler effort for black crappie and walleye fisheries suggested that angler effort could be highly responsive for some fisheries and relatively stable for others, thereby increasing the risk of recruitment overfishing in real fisheries. Recruitment overfishing should be considered seriously in freshwater recreational fisheries, and more studies are needed to evaluate the responsiveness of angler effort to changes in fish abundance.

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Decline in angler use despite increased catch rates: Anglers’ response to the implementation of a total catch-and-release regulation

Cited by 41 publications

References 62 publications

Sea Bass Angling in Ireland: A Structural Equation Model of Catch and Effort

Sea Bass Angling in Ireland: A Structural Equation Model of Catch and Effort

Angler effort and catch within a spatially complex system of small lakes

Dynamic angling effort influences the value of minimum‐length limits to prevent recruitment overfishing

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