The nexus of fun and nutrition: Recreational fishing is also about food

Cooke, Steven J.; Twardek, William M.; Lennox, Robert J.; Zolderdo, Aaron J.; Bower, Shannon D.; Gutowsky, Lee F.G.; Danylchuk, Andy J.; Arlinghaus, Robert; Beard, T. Douglas

doi:10.1111/faf.12246

Cited by 123 publications

(109 citation statements)

References 164 publications

(290 reference statements)

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“…Responses indicated that most anglers tend to harvest some of the fish they catch but this was not true when focused specifically on catches of shortfin mako. Increasing desire to consume local food may yield changes in demand for local products including shark, and thereby participation in hunting and fishing (Cooke et al, ; Tidball, Tidball, & Curtis, ). Research is evidently needed to understand how willing consumers are to trade off sustainability and conservation when harvesting species at risk.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Motivation and harvesting behaviour of fishers in a specialized fishery targeting a top predator species at risk

et al. 2019

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Effective management of wildlife resources depends on understanding and cooperating with the human users of the resource, particularly as policies may be rejected if user satisfactions are not met. In Australia, recreational anglers can legally target a migratory top predator, the shortfin mako shark Isurus oxyrinchus, which is also a species at risk. It is assumed that most of the sharks are released and population remains minimally impacted; yet, the actual release rate of this species is unknown and little information is available about anglers that participate in this fishery. Fishing motivations and behaviours were ascertained by a web survey of recreational shark anglers from three south‐eastern Australian states. Respondents reported that ~70% of the captured makos were released, with significant geographic variation in release rates between states. Most anglers reported being motivated by the catch‐based objectives, the thrills and challenges, rather than harvest‐based motivations. However, there were significant differences in harvesting motivation among states. This could be attributed to the varying value assigned to shortfin mako as a sport fish and table fish among regions. Additionally, higher rates of release among anglers from New South Wales may be linked to increased opportunity for resource substitution (i.e. greater diversity of game fish species) and established norms driven by current catch‐and‐release fisheries in that region. Increased participation in catch‐and‐release fishing may be achieved by establishing behavioural norms by the provision of more desirable incentives to release sharks during fishing competitions. Data on regional variation in release rates yield important information for managers to target specialized fishers to incentivize catch‐and‐release fishing with an objective of changing behaviour. Many anglers understand that sharks are important to marine ecosystems and messaging may be important to deliver effective management given that most anglers are motivated by catch‐based objectives even though many enjoy harvesting makos. Information on natural resource user motivations and satisfactions, such as studied here, has the potential to guide management actions and the ways in which managers interact with resource users. A plain language summary is available for this article.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Motivation and harvesting behaviour of fishers in a specialized fishery targeting a top predator species at risk

et al. 2019

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“…These social outcomes must be maintained concurrently with biological sustainability (not unlike the commercial sector where incentives exist; Greiner et al ., ) so that the activity can continue to persist in the future. The greatest threat to biological sustainability of recreational fisheries is the exploitation of aquatic resources both directly through harvest (Cooke et al ., ) and indirectly through discard or catch‐and‐release mortality (Coggins et al ., ). However, the issues surrounding recreational fisheries are more diverse than harvest and include factors such as fisheries‐induced evolution, bait harvesting, species introductions, trophic perturbations, habitat destruction and pollution (Altieri et al ., ; Cooke & Cowx, ; Hyder et al ., ; Lewin et al ., ; McPhee et al ., ).…”

Section: Sustainability In the Context Of Recreational Fisheriesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Anglers are a broad, heterogeneous group that can encompass wealthy and mobile fly fishers dedicated to catch and release as well as poor and food‐insecure fishers that harvest catches (Cooke et al ., ). A diverse host of fish species is targeted by anglers visiting many different marine and freshwater habitats.…”

Section: Anglers As Agents Of Changementioning

confidence: 97%

Searching for responsible and sustainable recreational fisheries in the Anthropocene

Cooke

Twardek

Reid

et al. 2019

Journal of Fish Biology

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Recreational fisheries that use rod and reel (i.e., angling) operate around the globe in diverse freshwater and marine habitats, targeting many different gamefish species and engaging at least 220 million participants. The motivations for fishing vary extensively; whether anglers engage in catch‐and‐release or are harvest‐oriented, there is strong potential for recreational fisheries to be conducted in a manner that is both responsible and sustainable. There are many examples of recreational fisheries that are well‐managed where anglers, the angling industry and managers engage in responsible behaviours that both contribute to long‐term sustainability of fish populations and the sector. Yet, recreational fisheries do not operate in a vacuum; fish populations face threats and stressors including harvest from other sectors as well as environmental change, a defining characteristic of the Anthropocene. We argue that the future of recreational fisheries and indeed many wild fish populations and aquatic ecosystems depends on having responsible and sustainable (R&S) recreational fisheries whilst, where possible, addressing, or at least lobbying for increased awareness about the threats to recreational fisheries emanating from outside the sector (e.g., climate change). Here, we first consider how the concepts of R&S intersect in the recreational fishing sector in an increasingly complex socio‐cultural context. Next, we explore the role of the angler, angling industry and decision‐makers in achieving R&S fisheries. We extend this idea further by considering the consequences of a future without recreational fisheries (either because of failures related to R&S) and explore a pertinent case study situated in Uttarakahand, India. Unlike other fisheries sectors where the number of participants is relatively small, recreational angling participants are numerous and widespread, such that if their actions are responsible, they have the potential to be a key voice for conservation and serve as a major force for good in the Anthropocene. What remains to be seen is whether this will be achieved, or if failure will occur to the point that recreational fisheries face increasing pressure to cease, as a result of external environmental threats, the environmental effects of recreational fishing and emerging ethical concerns about the welfare of angled fish.

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“…Walleye Sander vitreus (Mitchill 1818) is a perciform fish native to many rivers and lakes in the Midwest of North America (Bozek et al ., ), where they are highly valued for recreation as well as for subsistence in many Canadian and US communities (Cooke et al ., ; Lester et al ., ). Sander vitreus plays a similar socio‐ecological role to that of its congener, the pike‐perch or zander Sander lucioperca (L 1758), in Europe.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coloured LED light as a potential behavioural guidance tool for age 0 and 2 year walleye Sander vitreus

Ford

Elvidge

Patrick³

et al. 2019

Journal of Fish Biology

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Based on existing laboratory research on the visual physiology of walleye Sander vitreus, we tested colours of known spectral sensitivity (i.e., green and orange) using constant and strobing (5 Hz) illumination with an LED‐based light guidance device (LGD). Hatchery‐reared age 0 and 2 years S. vitreus were exposed to these four light combinations as well as an unilluminated control treatment during day and night trials. Age 2 years S. vitreus generally avoided the LGD when light was produced (negative phototaxis) compared with the control, with continuous illumination having a greater effect than strobing. The proportions of both age 0 and 2 year fish exiting illuminating zones of the trial arena did not differ with light colour or strobe rate, suggesting that phototactic behaviours in S. vitreus do not change with ontogeny in these age classes. Our findings confirm that typical behavioural responses of S. vitreus to light stimuli are characterised by avoidance and provide evidence that the use of light for behavioural guidance (deterrence) may be effective at reducing entrainment and impingement of this species on hydraulic barriers during migrations, independent of ontogenetic stage.

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The nexus of fun and nutrition: Recreational fishing is also about food

Cited by 123 publications

References 164 publications

Motivation and harvesting behaviour of fishers in a specialized fishery targeting a top predator species at risk

Motivation and harvesting behaviour of fishers in a specialized fishery targeting a top predator species at risk

Searching for responsible and sustainable recreational fisheries in the Anthropocene

Coloured LED light as a potential behavioural guidance tool for age 0 and 2 year walleye Sander vitreus

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