Winds, waves, warm waters, weekdays, and which ways boats are counted influence predicted visitor use at an offshore fishing destination

An access-point survey approach to estimate recreational boat-fishing effort for stays of variable length

Context It is common for recreational anglers to discard waste produced from filleting catches back into the water, which results in a highly spatio-temporally predictable food subsidy for wildlife to scavenge. However, the behavioural responses of these scavengers has received little attention. Aims We aimed to assess the visitation of a common mesopredatory scavenger in relation to temporal patterns in waste discarding at a boat ramp in south-eastern Australia. Methods Using passive acoustic telemetry, the movements of 13 adult female smooth stingrays (Bathytoshia brevicaudata) were tracked, and patterns in their acoustic detections and duration of time spent in different sections within the study area were compared. Key results Use of the study area was strongly focused around the boat ramp, and peaked during periods of increased provisioning activity (i.e. afternoons and weekends). Environmental variables had limited influence on visitation, suggesting that the use of the area was not likely to be linked to natural behaviours. Conclusions The observed patterns indicated that the movements of smooth stingrays were linked to waste-discard practices by recreational anglers. Implications This study has implications for the management of discard practices for recreational fishing. 

/pdf/recreational-fishery-discard-practices-influence-use-of-1qdlsau3.pdf

Recreational fishery discard practices influence use of tidal estuary by a large marine mesopredator

Supplemented roving survey to quantify spatio-temporal recreational fishing effort in an estuarine Ramsar wetland

Sustainability assessment and management evaluation of broad-scale recreational fisheries are routinely informed using effort and catch data sourced from recurring offsite surveys. Similar information is often required for small-scale recreational fisheries and other spatial management areas. Data from four state-wide recreational fishing surveys in Western Australia were evaluated using grid- and location-based direct estimation approaches to determine whether effort and total catch could be estimated robustly for small-scale geographical areas. Marine protected areas (MPAs) were selected as case studies, and robustness of the various approaches was assessed based on acceptable sample size and uncertainty. Effort and total catch (number retained and released across all species) were robustly estimated for 19 MPAs. Total catch was also robustly estimated for 32 teleost species across multiple MPAs. Robust estimates were less likely for offshore MPAs than coastal MPAs, with lower sample sizes associated with greater distance from boat ramps and population centres. Grid-based approaches were therefore generally more appropriate for offshore MPAs, while location-based approaches were more appropriate for coastal MPAs. This study demonstrates how existing monitoring of broad-scale recreational fisheries fulfils a need for similar data in small-scale recreational fisheries, thereby allowing for the efficient use of resources that benefit fisheries management and conservation objectives. 

Small‐scale estimation of recreational fishing effort and catch from broad‐scale survey data: A case study using multiple‐use Marine Protected Areas in Western Australia

When monitoring marine recreational fishers at sub-bio-regional scales—for example those who are accessing a Marine Park—on-site sampling is often required. This poses various logistical challenges, such as the efficient timing of intercept interviews. Here, we examine these challenges, combining trail cameras, closed-circuit television (CCTV), weather stations, and interviews at boat ramps that bracket an offshore Marine Park. Trail camera results were similar to those from a CCTV system co-located at one of the boat ramps. Fishers’ boat launches peaked early, but return times varied considerably by ramp and weather. Both the numbers of launches and trip durations were strongly responsive to good weather, particularly at ramps used for offshore fishing. Weather was a more important factor to predict the likelihood of intercept interview opportunities than holiday period, which may reflect changing dynamics in work culture and improvements in weather prediction. Interviewed fishers reported preferences to individual ramps over the fishing season and nearly all trips to the Marine Park were reported by fishers accessing just one ramp. The strong relationships between fishing, weather, and ramp, observed by the trail camera and correlated with the weather station data, may allow for the efficient targeting of intercept interviews and potentially the modelling of fishing effort.

Trail camera video systems: investigating their utility in interpreting patterns of marine, recreational, trailer-boat fishers’ access to an offshore Marine Park in differing weather conditions

A Hegarty

Papers

Trail camera video systems: investigating their utility in interpreting patterns of marine, recreational, trailer-boat fishers’ access to an offshore Marine Park in differing weather conditions