Recreational fisheries selectively capture and harvest large predators

Abstract

Size- and species-selective harvest inevitably alters the composition of targeted populations and communities. This can potentially harm fish stocks, ecosystem functionality, and related services, as evidenced in numerous commercial fisheries. The high popularity of rod-and-reel recreational fishing, practiced by hundreds of millions globally, raises concerns about similar deteriorating effects. Despite its prevalence, the species and size selectivity of recreational fisheries remain largely unquantified due to a lack of combined catch data and fisheries-independent surveys. This study addresses this gap by using standardised monitoring data and over 60,000 digital angling catch reports from 62 distinct fisheries. The findings demonstrate a pronounced selectivity in recreational fisheries, targeting top predators and large individuals. Catch-and-release practices reduced the overall harvest by 60% but did not substantially alter this selectivity. The strong species- and size-specific selectivity mirror patterns observed in other fisheries, emphasising the importance of managing the potential adverse effects of recreational fisheries selective mortality and overfishing.

Keywords

angling; catch reports; catch-and-release; fish monitoring; trophic alteration; truncation

Published in

Fish and Fisheries
2024, volume: 25, number: 5, pages: 793-805

SLU Authors

• Sundblad, Göran

  • Department of Aquatic Resources (SLU Aqua), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Associated SLU-program

Lakes and watercourses
Use of FOMA data

UKÄ Subject classification

Ecology
Fish and Aquacultural Science

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12839

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/130865