Oral presentation at the 8 World Recreational Fishing Conference, Victoria, Canada.
There are growing concerns about the impact of Marine Recreational Fishing (MRF) on ecosystems and its combined effects with other human activities, such as commercial fishing, especially in the higher trophic levels. On the other hand, recreational fishers make a considerable economic contribution by their expenses in materials, boats, licenses and travel costs and accommodation. However, little research has been conducted on MRF in Europe, particularly in the South. In the Euroregion Galicia-Northern Portugal extensive research in basic features of MRF is still needed to support management decisions and to reduce growing conflicts between recreational and commercial fishers and other stakeholders. In this work we have analysed the social, economic and ecological impact of the MRF in this Euroregion by characterizing the types of users, estimating their costs and their catches by species. In particular, we have performed on-site and on-line interviews with fishers of the different mêtiers to gather economic information (costs, disbursements and profitability), social (education, occupation, age, residence, sex, generation of direct and indirect jobs and complementarity with commercial fishing and tourism) and ecological (trends and factors influencing abundances, gears used, species targeted and seasonal and daily effort and catches). Management recommendations have been given to improve socio-ecological sustainability of MRF.
Social and ecological attributes of marine recreational fisheries in the Euroregion Galicia-Northern Portugal
1. Social and ecological attributes
of marine recreational fisheries
in the Euroregion Galicia-
Northern Portugal
8th WRFC. Victoria, 16-20 July 2017
PABLO PITA, PEDRO GOMES, KIERAN HYDER, CRISTINA PITA, MAFALDA RANGEL,
PEDRO VEIGA, JOSÉ VINGADA, SEBASTIÁN VILLASANTE
2. Background and objectives
• Concerns about the impact of Marine Recreational
Fishing (MRF).
• Economic contribution of MRF.
• Little research has been conducted on MRF in Atlantic
Southern Europe.
• Complex socioecological environments.
• More data on MRF is needed to support management
decisions.
• We analyzed social, economic and ecological relevance
of MRF in the Euroregion Galicia-Northern Portugal.
3. Methodology
• On-line questionnaire for the different MRF
modalities.
• Study disseminated among stakeholders and
recreational/sport fishing networks.
• Questions:
– Ecology: trends and factors influencing abundances.
– Fishery: gears, species, effort and catches.
– Social: education, occupation, age, sex and
complementarity with other activities.
– Economy: costs and expenditures.
5. Questionnaires
Modality
Nationality Gear
Portuguese Spanish Other Handline Rod Speargun
Boat 6 100 1 39 50 27
Shore 10 177 2 1 162 28
Licenses
Sources: Fishing licenses in 2015: Portugal (continent): www.dgrm.mm.gov.pt; Galicia: Xunta de Galicia.
Zone
Modality
Total Population Ratio
Shore Boat Spearfishing Other
Galicia 59692 0 2584 - 62276 2732347 2.28
Portugal 112467 64171 9721 3458 189817 9839140 1.93
12. Alone
Family
Friends
Sociology: organization and fishing
preferences
Do you feel represented by your Federation / club or organization?
Have you had an accident when fishing? Did you require hospitalization?
16. Discussion
• Coverage.
• Biases: avidity, recall.
• Next steps: scaling to general
population.
• Relevance of the activity in ecology
and socioeconomy.
PABLO PITA, PEDRO GOMES, KIERAN HYDER, CRISTINA PITA , MAFALDA RANGEL, PEDRO VEIGA, JOSÉ VINGADA, SEBASTIÁN VILLASANTE
The Euroregion Galicia-Northern Portugal is very dependent on the exploitation of marine resources, mainly fisheries.
Total of 307 questionnaires so far. Portugal begun later and is still ongoing.
0=very low; 2=very high
Each column contains the extreme of the lower whisker, the lower hinge the median, the upper hinge and the extreme of the upper whisker
Mean 2.5 kg reduction
Mean 54% reduction
25 spp.
Seabass= 47% of catch share
White Seabream= 7%
More effort in summer and Autumn
Similar hours per day between countries; bit more effort from the shore.
More days per month in Spain and from the shore (again).
More catch per day and Fisher in Portugal and Shore angling.
Mean Age=43 (from 13 to 80)
Mean Family members per household = 3 people
99% men; 50% married
17% suffered an accident; 10% of accidents required medical care in a hospital
30% own a boat; 30% first hand
Mean Crew>2 fishers
Mean Length= 5 m
Mean Power= 68 HP
Mean price=12 K€
Mean Boat maintenance= 900 €
Mean Boat mooring= 600 €
Mean Boat fuel> 900 €
Mean insurances= 200 €
Total > 2500 € per year
Average annual expenditure (last 5 years):
Mean Fishing gears= 550 €
Mean Clothes= 200 €
Mean Bait= 200 €
Mean Car fuel=450 €
Mean travels = 250 €
Mean license fishing= 15 €
Mean license federative= 25 €
Mean Other = 150 €
Total = 1500 €
Other recreational activities = 1000 €
Coverage and avidity biass related to precisión and representativeness of MRF population; recall biass is related to accuracy of the information.
More data for this study; more studies are justified.
Recomendations:
Ecology: analize impact on top predators, currently under some convervation concern like seabass.
Social: Promote and improve associations of fishers; inform and educate fishers regarding safety to reduce accidents.
Economy: Promotion of the activity in relation with blue growth and development of local economies.
SEBASTIÁN VILLASANTE, PEDRO GOMES, HARRY STREHLOW , PEDRO VEIGA , JOSÉ VINGADA , KIERAN HYDER