Does catch-and-release increase the recreational value of rivers? The case of salmon fishing

Abstract

Catch-and-release (C&R) could be an interesting management tool in recreational fisheries as long as mortality remains low and the anglers' well-being does not drop. We used a choice experiment to examine the potential of C&R angling as a monitoring tool for the salmon recreational fishery in Brittany (France) in summer 2017. Anglers were asked to choose between hypothetical fishing day trips differing in terms of their combination of relevant attributes and levels and distance to travel. From the analysis of respondents' trade-offs between the fishing trip's attributes, willingness-to-pay were estimated for each level of attribute. Our results show that anglers prefer unrestrictive regulations. On average, we observe that C&R has a depressive effect on the valuation of the fishing day. However, some socioeconomic groups positively value C&R. All in all, the majority of the anglers nonetheless hold a positive valuation of a C&R fishing day, which could therefore be used to generate economic returns for the river once the total admissible capture (TAC) is reached. Lastly, the fishing season, and especially the level of river use, impact more on the value of fishing than C&R.

Digital Data Help Explain Drivers of Angler Satisfaction: An Example from Southern Norway

“…A relevant question then is whether a reasonable high level of angler satisfaction, defined as the reward recreational anglers receive from their fishing experience (Birdsong et al 2021), can be achieved without actually harvesting the fish. Indeed, some studies have suggested that some angler groups receive satisfaction from voluntarily releasing their catch (Ditton and Sutton 2004;Liu et al 2019;Ropars-Collet et al 2021), although the benefits of releasing fish are lower than the benefits of retained fish in consumptive fisheries (Lee et al 2017). Indeed, in salmonid fisheries, harvesting fish can be of very high value (Olaussen and Skonhoft 2008;Olaussen 2016;Ropars-Collet et al 2021), but strong heterogeneity exists as to whether salmonid anglers prefer to catch or release fish (Hutt and Bettoli 2007).…”

“…Indeed, some studies have suggested that some angler groups receive satisfaction from voluntarily releasing their catch (Ditton and Sutton 2004;Liu et al 2019;Ropars-Collet et al 2021), although the benefits of releasing fish are lower than the benefits of retained fish in consumptive fisheries (Lee et al 2017). Indeed, in salmonid fisheries, harvesting fish can be of very high value (Olaussen and Skonhoft 2008;Olaussen 2016;Ropars-Collet et al 2021), but strong heterogeneity exists as to whether salmonid anglers prefer to catch or release fish (Hutt and Bettoli 2007). A recent study by Gundelund et al (2022) from Danish sea trout angling revealed that the satisfaction of anglers increased with the catch rate of sea trout, but primary motivations of anglers moderated how strongly catch contributed to angler satisfaction.…”

“…Indeed, in salmonid fisheries, harvesting fish can be of very high value (Olaussen and Skonhoft 2008; Olaussen 2016; Ropars‐Collet et al. 2021), but strong heterogeneity exists as to whether salmonid anglers prefer to catch or release fish (Hutt and Bettoli 2007). A recent study by Gundelund et al.…”

“…2019; Ropars‐Collet et al. 2021), although the benefits of releasing fish are lower than the benefits of retained fish in consumptive fisheries (Lee et al. 2017).…”