Impacts of Recreational Angling on Fish Population Recovery after a Commercial Fishing Ban
It is often assumed that recreational fishing has negligible influences on fish stocks compared to commercial fishing. However, for inland water bodies in densely populated areas, this assumption may not be supported. In this study, we demonstrate variable stock recovery rates among different fish s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Fishes |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/7/5/232 |
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| author | Justas Dainys Eglė Jakubavičiūtė Harry Gorfine Mindaugas Kirka Alina Raklevičiūtė Augustas Morkvėnas Žilvinas Pūtys Linas Ložys Asta Audzijonyte |
| author_facet | Justas Dainys Eglė Jakubavičiūtė Harry Gorfine Mindaugas Kirka Alina Raklevičiūtė Augustas Morkvėnas Žilvinas Pūtys Linas Ložys Asta Audzijonyte |
| author_sort | Justas Dainys |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | It is often assumed that recreational fishing has negligible influences on fish stocks compared to commercial fishing. However, for inland water bodies in densely populated areas, this assumption may not be supported. In this study, we demonstrate variable stock recovery rates among different fish species with similar life histories in a large productive inland freshwater ecosystem (Kaunas Reservoir, Lithuania), where previously intensive commercial fishing has been banned since 2013. We conducted over 900 surveys of recreational anglers from 2016 to 2021 to document recreational fishing catches and combined these catch estimates with drone and fishfinder device-based assessments of recreational fishing effort. Fish population recovery rates were assessed using a standardized catch-per-unit-effort time series in independent scientific surveys. We show that recreational fishing is slowing the recovery of predatory species, such as pikeperch <i>Sander lucioperca</i> (Linnaeus, 1758) and Eurasian perch <i>Perca fluviatilis</i> Linnaeus, 1758. The estimated annual recreational catches for these species were 19 tons (min-max of 7–55 tons) and 9 tons (4–28), respectively, which was considerably higher than the average commercial catch before the fishery closure (10 and 1 tons, respectively). In contrast, the recovery of roach <i>Rutilus rutilus</i> (Linnaeus, 1758), rarely caught by anglers (annual recreational catch of ca 3 tons compared to ca 100 tons of commercial catch), has been rapid, and the species is now dominating the ecosystem. Our study demonstrates that recreational fishing can have strong and selective impacts on fish species, reduce predator abundance, alter relative species composition and potentially change ecosystem state and dynamics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:13:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c0ad826d04214f58bdd03cdb97ac16c1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2410-3888 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:13:54Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fishes |
| spelling | doaj.art-c0ad826d04214f58bdd03cdb97ac16c12023-11-24T00:05:57ZengMDPI AGFishes2410-38882022-09-017523210.3390/fishes7050232Impacts of Recreational Angling on Fish Population Recovery after a Commercial Fishing BanJustas Dainys0Eglė Jakubavičiūtė1Harry Gorfine2Mindaugas Kirka3Alina Raklevičiūtė4Augustas Morkvėnas5Žilvinas Pūtys6Linas Ložys7Asta Audzijonyte8Nature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, LT-08412 Vilnius, LithuaniaNature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, LT-08412 Vilnius, LithuaniaNature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, LT-08412 Vilnius, LithuaniaNature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, LT-08412 Vilnius, LithuaniaNature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, LT-08412 Vilnius, LithuaniaNature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, LT-08412 Vilnius, LithuaniaNature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, LT-08412 Vilnius, LithuaniaNature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, LT-08412 Vilnius, LithuaniaNature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, LT-08412 Vilnius, LithuaniaIt is often assumed that recreational fishing has negligible influences on fish stocks compared to commercial fishing. However, for inland water bodies in densely populated areas, this assumption may not be supported. In this study, we demonstrate variable stock recovery rates among different fish species with similar life histories in a large productive inland freshwater ecosystem (Kaunas Reservoir, Lithuania), where previously intensive commercial fishing has been banned since 2013. We conducted over 900 surveys of recreational anglers from 2016 to 2021 to document recreational fishing catches and combined these catch estimates with drone and fishfinder device-based assessments of recreational fishing effort. Fish population recovery rates were assessed using a standardized catch-per-unit-effort time series in independent scientific surveys. We show that recreational fishing is slowing the recovery of predatory species, such as pikeperch <i>Sander lucioperca</i> (Linnaeus, 1758) and Eurasian perch <i>Perca fluviatilis</i> Linnaeus, 1758. The estimated annual recreational catches for these species were 19 tons (min-max of 7–55 tons) and 9 tons (4–28), respectively, which was considerably higher than the average commercial catch before the fishery closure (10 and 1 tons, respectively). In contrast, the recovery of roach <i>Rutilus rutilus</i> (Linnaeus, 1758), rarely caught by anglers (annual recreational catch of ca 3 tons compared to ca 100 tons of commercial catch), has been rapid, and the species is now dominating the ecosystem. Our study demonstrates that recreational fishing can have strong and selective impacts on fish species, reduce predator abundance, alter relative species composition and potentially change ecosystem state and dynamics.https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/7/5/232recreational anglingspecies recoveryspecies compositionangler impactKaunas Water Reservoir Lithuania |
| spellingShingle | Justas Dainys Eglė Jakubavičiūtė Harry Gorfine Mindaugas Kirka Alina Raklevičiūtė Augustas Morkvėnas Žilvinas Pūtys Linas Ložys Asta Audzijonyte Impacts of Recreational Angling on Fish Population Recovery after a Commercial Fishing Ban Fishes recreational angling species recovery species composition angler impact Kaunas Water Reservoir Lithuania |
| title | Impacts of Recreational Angling on Fish Population Recovery after a Commercial Fishing Ban |
| title_full | Impacts of Recreational Angling on Fish Population Recovery after a Commercial Fishing Ban |
| title_fullStr | Impacts of Recreational Angling on Fish Population Recovery after a Commercial Fishing Ban |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impacts of Recreational Angling on Fish Population Recovery after a Commercial Fishing Ban |
| title_short | Impacts of Recreational Angling on Fish Population Recovery after a Commercial Fishing Ban |
| title_sort | impacts of recreational angling on fish population recovery after a commercial fishing ban |
| topic | recreational angling species recovery species composition angler impact Kaunas Water Reservoir Lithuania |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/7/5/232 |
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