Understanding the Fish Harvesting Decisions by Anglers

Abstract

This paper examined whether angling catch behaviors, angler characteristics, and angler evaluations could explain the decisions by anglers to harvest caught fish. Particularly, we determined if the propensity of tourist anglers to harvest caught walleye (Stizostedion vitreum), northern pike (Esox lucius), and smallmouth bass (Micropterus Dolomieui) was related to variables that measured catch rates, angling effort, catch rates for substitute fish species, motivational item importance, and/or social group variables. The results showed that catch rates and angling effort were essential for explaining anglers' decisions to harvest caught fish. Although explaining much less of the variation in the harvest behavior among anglers, the results also showed that standard concepts of human dimensions research such as substitution, motivation, and social groups were statistically related to the decisions of harvesting caught fish by anglers.We would like to thank Rob MacKereth of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Bonita McFarlane of the Canadian Forest Service along with two anonymous reviewers for their helpful suggestions and reviews of previous manuscripts. We also thank the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources for funding the research project. Data from creel surveys or angler creel diaries afford researchers a unique opportunity to test hypotheses related to concepts in recreation research. Whereas most recreation research focuses on testing such hypotheses from research approaches based on stated preferences and choices and/or behavioral antecedents including beliefs and attitudes, the validation of such hypotheses with empirical data is typically lacking. By linking social and economic research questions to actual catch and harvest data reported by anglers in creel surveys or creel diaries, researchers may empirically test the relationship between the actual harvesting behavior by anglers and the various hypotheses formulated in recreation research. Especially in the context of consumptive recreation behavior, any new insights that might contribute towards the sustainable use of natural resources are of utmost importance to resource managers.This study was designed to understand the fish harvesting behavior of anglers as reported in creel diaries. In particular, we attempted to determine the salient factors associated with harvesting decisions for three species of fish-i.e., walleye (Stizostedion vitreum), northern pike (Esox lucius), and smallmouth bass (Micropterus Dolomieui)-by anglers who visited a tourism fishing establishment in northern Ontario.The decision of an angler to harvest caught fish may depend on many factors, including angling catch rates and angling effort, motivating factors, and social normative pressures. These factors do not exhaust all potential influences that may explain the decision of anglers to harvest caught fish. Rather, these factors afford us an opportunity to demonstrate how researchers can employ angler diary information to understand some reasons why anglers harvest fi...

Self-imposed length limits in recreational fisheries

“…We considered the size structure and catch rates of catchable fish for five species, but there are many other factors that could help elucidate patterns in the self-imposed length limits. Perhaps most importantly, the harvest orientation of the different angler groups (Fisher, 1997;Aas and Vittersø, 2000;Hunt et al, 2002;Dorow et al, 2010) was not considered in this study. Anglers seeking a specific species or trophy-sized fish could have an influence on the sizes that are harvested.…”

“…Weithman and Anderson (1978) developed the minimum length for the qualitylength category from the relationship between world-record length and fish quality, and related the minimum to a length that is 36-41% of the species-specific world-record length. Even though fish harvest is an important part of the fishing experience for most anglers (Matlock et al, 1988;Peyton and Gigliotti, 1989;Spencer, 1989), the actualized minimum length of a quality-length fish likely differs between catch-and-release-orientated anglers and harvestorientated anglers (Wilde and Ditton, 1994;Arlinghaus, 2006b;Anderson et al, 2007) The decision to harvest any given fish depends on the dynamic relationship of an anglers' expectation, or perceptions, of what can be potentially caught in the waterbody within the confines of the harvest regulation (Cook et al, 2001;Hunt et al, 2002;Anderson et al, 2007). In our study, we were unable to conclude that the restriction of the harvest regulation altered the self-imposed length limits across the species assessed.…”

“…Thus, an immediate decision must be made at capture on whether to harvest or release a fish that is protected with only a creel limit, and this decision process is repeated with the capture of each subsequent fish. Anglers elect to harvest select species and sizes of captured fish for personal, practical, economic, and regulatory reasons, and the decision of an angler to harvest a captured fish is likely influenced by previous and current angling catch rates, previous and current angling effort, current motivating factors for participating in recreational angling, and current social normative pressures (Hunt et al, 2002;Beardmore et al, 2011). Therefore, the decision to harvest or release a captured fish is likely to depend on the attitudes and characteristics of the angler and is influenced by regulations, species, and size of fish.…”

“…There are many factors affecting the decision to harvest fish (Hunt et al, 2002), but the size of a fish is an important motivating factor (Fisher, 1997). The satisfaction gained from harvesting a fish is likely to increase with fish size for most inland freshwater fishes because one potential benefit of harvesting the fish, amount of meat gained, is related to fish size (Willis and Van Zee, 1997;Rutten et al, 2004), whereas one potential cost of harvesting the fish, effort and This article is a U.S. government work, and is not subject to copyright in the United States.…”

Fishing for Northern Pike in Minnesota: Comparing Anglers and Dark House Spearers

“…About one-fourth of the Minnesota resident anglers who targeted Northern Pike reported releasing all of the legal Northern Pike they caught while angling, whereas only about 10% of dark house spearing participants reported releasing all legal Northern Pike when angling (Schroeder and Moeckel 2011). Previous studies have reported that anglers may be less oriented toward keeping fish of lesspreferred species (Hunt et al 2002;Sutton 2003;Schroeder and Fulton 2013). Northern Pike may be a less-preferred species for many Minnesota anglers but a more-preferred species among individuals who participate in dark house spearing.…”