Recreational angling as a pathway for invasive non-native species spread: awareness of biosecurity and the risk of long distance movement into Great Britain

Abstract

Identifying and establishing the relative importance of different anthropogenic pathways of invasive non-native species (INNS) introduction is critical for effective management of their establishment and spread in the long-term. Angling has been identified as one of these pathways. An online survey of 680 British anglers was conducted to establish patterns of movement by British anglers abroad, and to establish their awareness and use of biosecurity practices. The survey revealed that 44% of British anglers travelled abroad for fishing, visiting 72 different countries. France was the most frequently visited country, accounting for one-third of all trips abroad. The estimated time taken to travel from Western Europe into Great Britain (GB) is within the time frame that INNS have been shown to survive on damp angling equipment. Without biosecurity, it is therefore highly likely that INNS could be unintentionally transported into GB on damp angling gear. Since the launch of the Check, Clean Dry biosecurity campaign in GB in 2011, the number of anglers cleaning their equipment after every trip has increased by 15%, and 80% of anglers now undertake some form of biosecurity. However, a significant proportion of the angling population is still not implementing sufficient, or the correct biosecurity measures to minimize the risk of INNS dispersal on damp angling equipment. With the increase in movement of anglers abroad for fishing, further work is required to establish the potential for INNS introduction through this pathway.

Tourism biosecurity risk management and planning: an international comparative analysis and implications for Ireland

“…For destinations worldwide to encourage policymakers to invest in a proactive national biosecurity plan and strategy, the tourism industry needs to identify, measure and compare all the costs and benefits (Edgell and Swanson, 2019). Preventing the spread of IAS in the first place could save substantial environmental and economic costs in the long-term due to damage to the environment, and expenses to remove IAS and disease (Smith et al, 2020). The costs for the development and implementation of a national biosecurity plan will be a fraction of the costs associated with controlling existing biosecurity breaches, not to mention the harm to human health.…”

“…With international tourist arrivals growing 6 per cent to reach 1.4 billion in 2018, the rapid spread of COVID-19 causing almost 25,000 cases in 24 countries in just 4 weeks, the need for destinations to have appropriate national level biosecurity is apparent (UNWTO, 2019; World Health Organisation (WHO), 2020). Furthermore, unintentional introductions of IAS and disease occurring from stowaways on tourist clothing and equipment such as damp angling gear is becoming increasingly recognised in the international literature (Anderson et al, 2015;Hulme, 2015;Smith et al, 2020). This causes significant ecosystem damage in native terrestrial, freshwater and aquatic environments in destinations worldwide (Anderson et al, 2015).…”

“…In a case such as Ireland where there are currently over 1,280 non-native species present, tourist vectoring is of high concern for biosecurity as the country is becoming increasingly popular as a destination for angling, hiking, and walking (Biodiversity Ireland, 2018;Smith et al, 2020). Without proper biosecurity in place, tourists carrying harmful pathogens, microbiologic fauna, flora, and seeds on tourists equipment, clothes and footwear unintentionally transport and disperse IAS or disease on walking networks, mountain bike trails, lakes, and rivers (Hall, 2015;Pickering et al, 2016;Van Riper et al, 2019).…”

A bobber’s perspective on angler-driven vectors of invasive species transmission

“…However, high rates of participation in fishing have significant social, ecological and economic consequences. Anglers have repeatedly been implicated as vectors of non-indigenous species by entraining organisms in bait buckets, on fishing lines and on boat motors, hulls and trailers (Rothlisberger et al 2010;Drake and Mandrak 2014;Smith et al 2020). Insufficient gear-cleaning allows hitchhiking invaders to be moved overland between water-bodies, promoting both their initial introduction into new catchments and secondary spread into adjacent lakes and reservoirs (Anderson et al 2014).…”

Non‐native marine species risk screening and vector analysis to inform conservation management in the southern Caribbean

“…Shipping, through ballast-water and hull fouling, has been identified as a major unintentional vector for the introduction and spread of NNS (Gollasch, 2002;Gollasch, 2006;Hulme et al, 2008;Minchin et al, 2009). Other frequently cited vectors for NNS are associated with recreational water use and tourism (Anderson et al, 2014;Smith et al, 2020), intentional or unintentional NNS introductions associated with aquaculture (Cook et al, 2008;Weitzman et al, 2019) and the aquarium industry (e.g. Anderson et al, 2014;Cook et al, 2008;Chan et al, 2019;Padilla & Williams, 2004;Smith et al, 2020).…”