Effectively managing angler satisfaction in recreational fisheries requires understanding the fish species and the anglers

2015 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 500-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Beardmore ◽  
Len M. Hunt ◽  
Wolfgang Haider ◽  
Malte Dorow ◽  
Robert Arlinghaus
Keyword(s):  
Fish Species ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Catch Rate ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Recreational Fisheries ◽  
Northern Germany ◽  
By Catch ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
High Catch ◽  
Important Objective

Whenever satisfied anglers are an important objective of recreational fisheries management, understanding how trip outcomes influence satisfaction reports is critical. While anglers, generally, prefer high catch rates and large fish, the relative importance of these catch outcomes for catch satisfaction has not been established across species and angler types. We examined relationships between angler specialization, trip outcomes (both catch and non-catch characteristics such as crowding), and catch satisfaction across six freshwater fish species in northern Germany. As expected, catch satisfaction was primarily determined by catch rate and fish size in all fish species; however, the relative importance of these two outcomes varied considerably across species and among angler types that differed by commitment to fishing. We found a diminishing marginal return of satisfaction for increasing catch rate for all but small-bodied cyprinid species, while increasing size of largest retained fish monotonically increased catch satisfaction in all species we examined. Non-catch outcomes (e.g., the number of other anglers seen while fishing) also had a significant negative influence on catch satisfaction, suggesting that non-catch factors are important in establishing expectations and for contextual evaluation of catch outcomes. We also determined that diversified trips made anglers more satisfied and that all else being equal, specialized anglers increased catch satisfaction from travel and fishing time. The results highlight the importance for managers to consider their particular mix of anglers as well as the fish species present when setting regulations aimed at increasing angler satisfaction.

scholarly journals Bipartite networks improve understanding of effects of waterbody size and angling method on angler–fish interactions

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Chizinski ◽  
Dustin R. Martin ◽  
Daizaburo Shizuka ◽  
Kevin L. Pope
Keyword(s):  
Fish Species ◽  
Interaction Networks ◽  
Bipartite Networks ◽  
Recreational Fisheries ◽  
Fishery Science ◽  
Size Number ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
Multiple Metrics ◽  
Network Metrics ◽  
Fish Interactions

Networks used to study interactions could provide insights to fisheries. We compiled data from 27 297 interviews of anglers across waterbodies that ranged in size from 1 to 12 113 ha. Catch rates of fish species among anglers grouped by species targeted generally differed between angling methods (bank or boat). We constructed angler–catch bipartite networks (angling method specific) between anglers and fish and measured several network metrics. There was considerable variation in networks among waterbodies, with multiple metrics influenced by waterbody size. Number of species-targeting angler groups and number of fish species caught increased with increasing waterbody size. Mean number of links for species-targeting angler groups and fish species caught also increased with waterbody size. Connectance (realized proportion of possible links) of angler–catch interaction networks decreased slower for boat anglers than for bank anglers with increasing waterbody size. Network specialization (deviation of number of interactions from expected) was not significantly related to waterbody size or angling methods. Application of bipartite networks in fishery science requires careful interpretation of outputs, especially considering the numerous confounding factors prevalent in recreational fisheries.

Spatial variation in by-catch from a prawn seine-net fishery in a south-east Australian coastal lagoon

2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (7) ◽  
pp. 987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles A. Gray
Keyword(s):  
Economic Value ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Recreational Fisheries ◽  
Fishing Season ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
By Catch ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
Catch Composition ◽  
Species Being ◽  
Demersal Species

Observer-based estimates of the catches and by-catches from prawn seining (locally termed ‘snigging’) in Tuggerah Lake (NSW, Australia) during the 1998/99 fishing season are presented. Observed catches included three species of penaeid prawns, while observed by-catches contained a total of 49 finfish and 5 invertebrate taxa. The overall by-catch:prawn catch ratio by weight was 0.9:1, and in catching an estimated 20 ± 4 t of prawns the fleet took an estimated total by-catch of ± 2 t throughout the 6-month fishing season. The by-catch included large numbers of small (<15 cm total length) finfish species important in other commercial and recreational fisheries, including Gerres subfasciatus,Rhabdosargus sarba and Acanthopagrus australis, as well as several small demersal species of little economic value. Multivariate analyses indicated that by-catch composition differed between seines taken over shallow seagrass and bare substrata, with catch rates of several species being greater over seagrass. It is recommended that strategies to reduce potential ecological impacts and by-catch in this fishery be investigated, including fixed spatial closures over seagrasses and the development of alternative fishing gears and practices.

scholarly journals Status of Fisheries in Agusan Marsh: Lapaz and Talacogon, Agusan del Sur, Mindanao

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-82
Author(s):  
Joyce Baclayo ◽  
Matt Alcantara ◽  
Laila Holoyohoy ◽  
Letecia Alaba
Keyword(s):  
Stock Assessment ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Optimum Level ◽  
Key Species ◽  
Fishing Gears ◽  
Channa Striata ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
By Catch ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
High Catch

In support to policy formulation of fisheries in Agusan Marsh, a stock assessment was conducted for the period of May 2014 to December 2016 using the data collected from Lapaz and Talacogon, Agusan del Sur within the Agusan Marsh. Results showed that Lapaz contributed 54% of the catch over Talacogon. A total of eighteen species, belonging to 13 genera and 11 families with 7 native and 11 introduced species were found in the marsh. Majority of the total catch consisted of Channa striata, Oreochromis niloticus, and Cyprinus carpio (35%, 27%, and 26%, respectively). Osphronemus laticlavius, Glossogobius celebius and Mugil cephalus were listed as seasonal species. An invasive janitor fish (Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus) was observed as by-catch. A strong pattern of high catch rates occurred during the rainy months of January, February, June, and December. Ten types of commonly used fishing gears were found, majority of which include fish pots, set gillnets, electrofishing and set long lines. Multivariate analysis showed similarity in species composition both in Lapaz and Talacogon. Exploitation of dominant species showed unsustainable level for O. niloticus, C. batrachus, C. caprio, andC. gariepinus, mainly due to excessive capture of immaturesized fishes by major fishing gears. The estimated exploitation rate is beyond the optimum level for O. niloticus and C. carpio in both years and followed by C. striata and C. gariepinus in 2016. Only C. bartachus is estimated to be exploited below the optimum level. Generally, the key species in Agusan Marsh are at risk of overfishing, hence, immediate policy measures must be given high attention.

scholarly journals Round scallops and square meshes: a comparison of four codend types on the catch rates of target species and by-catch in the Queensland (Australia) saucer scallop (Amusium balloti) trawl fishery

2008 ◽  
Vol 59 (10) ◽  
pp. 849 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony J. Courtney ◽  
Matthew J. Campbell ◽  
Darren P. Roy ◽  
Mark L. Tonks ◽  
Keith E. Chilcott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Catch Rate ◽  
Target Species ◽  
Bivalve Molluscs ◽  
Sea Stars ◽  
Incidental Capture ◽  
Trawl Fishery ◽  
By Catch ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
Trawl Fisheries

Concern over the amount of by-catch from benthic trawl fisheries and research into the problem have increased in recent years. The present paper demonstrated that by-catch rates in the Queensland (Australia) saucer scallop (Amusium balloti) trawl fishery can be reduced by 77% (by weight) using nets fitted with a turtle excluder device (TED) and a square-mesh codend, compared with a standard diamond-mesh codend with no TED. This large reduction was achieved with no significant effect on the legal size scallop catch rate and 39% fewer undersize scallops were caught. In total, 382 taxa were recorded in the by-catch, which was dominated by sponges, portunid crabs, small demersal and benthic fish (e.g. leatherjackets, stingerfish, bearded ghouls, nemipterids, longspine emperors, lizard fish, triggerfish, flounders and rabbitfish), elasmobranchs (e.g. mainly rays) and invertebrates (e.g. sea stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and bivalve molluscs). Extremely high reductions in catch rate (i.e. ≥85%) were demonstrated for several by-catch species owing to the square-mesh codend. Square-mesh codends show potential as a means of greatly reducing by-catch and lowering the incidental capture and mortality of undersize scallops and Moreton Bay bugs (Thenus australiensis) in this fishery.

Fish and invertebrate by-catch in the crab pot fishery in the Isle of Man, Irish Sea

2017 ◽  
Vol 98 (8) ◽  
pp. 2099-2111
Author(s):  
Fikret Öndes ◽  
Michel J. Kaiser ◽  
Lee G. Murray
Keyword(s):  
Irish Sea ◽  
Target Species ◽  
Catch Per Unit Effort ◽  
Isle Of Man ◽  
Ecosystem Effects ◽  
By Catch ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Catch Composition ◽  
Autumn And Winter

Baited trap or pot fisheries are considered to have relatively few wider ecosystem effects on the marine environment, particularly when compared with towed mobile fishing gear. However, this assumption is rarely tested in the field. This study aimed to determine the composition of non-target species that occur in crustacean pots and to assess spatial and temporal differences in catches in the waters around the Isle of Man, Irish Sea. The data were collected using fishery independent surveys and a questionnaire study. Based on fishery independent surveys, a total of five taxonomic groups and 43 species occurred as by-catch. The dominant by-catch species was velvet crab Necora puber. The by-catch per unit effort (BPUE) for all of the non-target species was low particularly in comparison to towed bottom gear fisheries around the Isle of Man. BPUE of species composition varied considerably between different locations around the Isle of Man. The results of both the fishery independent and questionnaire data suggested that the by-catch rates varied with season with peak BPUE occurring in spring which then declined into autumn and winter. By-catch composition did not decrease significantly with an increasing target species catch. Overall, by-catch was low relative to target species catch which may be partially attributable to the use of escape panels in pot fisheries in the Isle of Man.

Size Selectivity of Diamond and Square Mesh Codends in Pelagic Herring Trawls: Only Small Herring Will Notice the Difference

1992 ◽  
Vol 49 (10) ◽  
pp. 2104-2117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petri Suuronen ◽  
Russell B. Millar
Keyword(s):  
Relative Size ◽  
Mesh Size ◽  
The Other ◽  
Size Selectivity ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
Two Sides ◽  
High Catch

A twin codend trawl was fished in the northern Baltic to study the size selectivity of square mesh and diamond mesh codends of 36-mm nominal mesh size. For each codend, 15 hauls were completed with a small mesh (20 mm) codend deployed on the other side of the trawl. The relative size of the catches in the two sides of the trawl varied considerably from haul to haul (the separator section was not operating properly) and selection curves were estimated from each individual haul using a method that incorporated the differences in catching efficiency of the two sides. The length of 50% retention decreased with increased catch for both the diamond and square mesh codends, although in neither case was this relationship statistically significant. Selection curves fitted to the combined haul data were asymmetric. The square mesh codend retained significantly less small herring than the diamond mesh codend, and for larger herring the two codends had similar selectivity. In both codends, most escapes occurred at the front of the catch bulge, from the upper side of the codend. At high catch rates, mesh blockage was observed for several metres ahead of the catch bulge during the later part of the tow.

Schooling behaviour of jack mackerel, Trachurus declivis (Jenyns), observed in the Tasmanian purse seine fishery

1993 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 577 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Williams ◽  
G Pullen
Keyword(s):  
School Size ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Diurnal Changes ◽  
Jack Mackerel ◽  
Schooling Behaviour ◽  
Summer Schools ◽  
By Catch ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
Lunar Effects ◽  
Purse Seine Fishery

The seasonal, lunar and diurnal changes in schooling of jack mackerel were examined using log-book information collected from an industrial fishery off the east coast of Tasmania between 1985 and 1989. School size increased significantly from spring to autumn. The ratio between surface and subsurface schools encountered by the fishery also changed seasonally. Surface schools predominate during summer, whereas subsurface schools become more frequent during autumn. The fishery was predominantly a day fishery and no lunar effects on catch rates or fishing intensity were detected. Catches mainly comprised jack mackerel, although redbait (Emmelichthys nitidus Richardson) and blue mackerel (Scomber australasicus Cuvier) were a significant by-catch. In summer, schools were almost exclusively composed of jack mackerel, but in other seasons mixed schools were found. Data presented, together with evidence from other sources, suggest that the availability of schools to the fishery may be closely related to the availability of feed.

Postsmolt Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) in the Labrador Sea

1991 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. G. Reddin ◽  
P. B. Short
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Salmo Salar ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Labrador Sea ◽  
Scale Reading ◽  
Gill Nets ◽  
Atlantic Salmon Salmo Salar ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
Abundance And Distribution ◽  
High Catch

In order to learn more about the existence, abundance, and distribution of postsmolt Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the Labrador Sea, exploratory fishing was done with surface-set gill nets in early autumn of 1987 and 1988. In total, there were 468 salmon of various sea ages captured, of which 207 were postsmolts. The high catch rates compared with catch rates from Greenland suggest that the population of postsmolts in the Labrador Sea may be large. Postsmolts from rivers in Maine to Labrador were caught in the Labrador Sea, as indicated by Carlin tags and river age distribution from scale reading. The highest catch rates of postsmolts occurred in the Labrador Sea between 56° and 58°N latitude.

Folly and fantasy in the analysis of spatial catch rate data

2003 ◽  
Vol 60 (12) ◽  
pp. 1433-1436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl Walters
Keyword(s):  
Catch Rate ◽  
Population Trends ◽  
Rate Data ◽  
Fishing Activity ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Abundance Indices ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
Catch Per Effort

Spatial catch per effort data can provide useful indices of population trends provided that they are averaged so as to correct for effects of changes in the distribution of fishing activity. Simple, nonspatial ratio estimates should not be used in such analyses. The averaging for any time period must necessarily make some assumptions about what catch rates would have been in spatial strata that had not yet, or were no longer, being fished. Ignoring the unfished strata (averaging only over the areas that were fished) amounts to assuming that they behaved the same as the fished strata and can lead to severe hyperdepletion in abundance indices for fisheries that developed progressively over large regions.

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