Oral Presentation Australian Society for Fish Biology Conference 2024

Identifying priority recreational fishing objectives for inclusion in harvest strategies (107876)

Ashley M Fowler 1 , Natalie A Dowling 2 , Phil Bolton 3 , Heath Folpp 4 , Jim Harnwell 3 , Julian M Hughes 1 , Michael B Lowry 5 , Jeremy M Lyle 6 , Tim P Lynch 2 , Alistair McIlgorm 7 , Nathan G Miles 8 , Rachel Nichols 7 , Faith A Ochwada 1 , Julian G Pepperell 9 , Sean R Tracey 6 , Rowan C Chick 5
  1. NSW DPI Fisheries, Mosman, NSW, Australia
  2. CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
  3. NSW DPI Fisheries, Nowra, NSW, Australia
  4. NSW DPI Fisheries, Coffs Harbour
  5. NSW DPI Fisheries, Port Stephens
  6. IMAS, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
  7. ANCORs - University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
  8. NSW DPI Fisheries, Narrandera, NSW, Australia
  9. Pepperell Research and Consulting, Doonan, Queensland, Australia

Harvest strategies (HSs) are considered best practice for fisheries management and are increasingly being used to achieve stakeholder objectives, including biological sustainability. However, the objectives of recreational fishers are poorly understood and rarely integrated into HSs, reducing the likelihood of achieving fisheries performance for the sector. This can marginalise recreational fishers and generate inequity in multi-sector fisheries. A first step to redressing this issue is to identify priority objectives of recreational fishers that can be incorporated into HSs. We developed a multi-phase approach to identifying and prioritising recreational fishing objectives and applied it to three fish stocks of recreational importance. Phases include: (1) an initial literature review of recreational fishing objectives; (2) workshops with recreational fishers to refine the objectives for specific stocks; 3) classification of objectives according to whether they can be achieved within a HS; 4) development of an objectives hierarchy, from broad-level objectives through to specific objectives that can be measured, and 5) elicitation of preferences from recreational fishers to identify priority objectives for specific stocks. We outline the application of our approach to the case-study stocks and implications for HS development.