Introduction

Recreational fishing (RF) is defined as the “fishing of aquatic animals (mainly fish) that doesn’t constitute the individual’s primary resource to meet basic nutrition needs and are not generally sold or otherwise traded on export, domestic or black markets.” RF operate within a competitive sphere among commercial fisheries, which may harvest from the same stock. RF can provide diverse revenues and opportunities; with a widely promoted catch and release policy within this sector, RF allows for a multiplication of value per fish actually harvested.

Providing global estimates of participation in RF is difficult due to limited data available, particularly in less developed countries. Rough estimates of the global number of recreational fishers (from here on referred to as anglers) vary widely, from a minimum of 220 million to a maximum of 700 million, with this higher estimate almost twice the number of commercial fishers. Regardless of the actual numbers, participation in RF is recognized to be increasing on a global scale, particularly in developing nations in accordance with the expansion of the middle class. Many wild freshwater fish stocks and some coastal marine stocks are exclusively used by RF in more industrialized nations, through a recognition of the high value per harvest that this fishery sector can provide when appropriately managed.

Mismanagement of RF can cause several conservation issues, including: high stock exploitation, selective harvest of ‘trophy fish’ (and therefore shifts in population structure), habitat destruction, unwanted catch and release mortality/disease, introduction of non-native species and disturbance of the environment. With these concerns, it is therefore necessary to orient the RF sector towards environmental sustainability on an international level, through various means such as the licensing of anglers and boats, establishing closed seasons and developing size and bag limits. Using these means and others, RF has already been taken into account in fisheries management in many developed countries. Though important, RF inclusion in management can generate conflicts in terms of resource allocation among various stakeholders, especially commercial fishers.

Involving RF in fishery management can perhaps be more complicated in developing countries, as these nations are heavily dependent on fishing for economic-development, employment and food security. Thus, critics view RF as an unjust exploitation of resources that is not directly contributing to either. To make matters further complicated, it is tourists who mainly participate in RF, especially in developing countries, meaning that anglers are not well represented in the local population making the benefits of RF even less clear.

However, despite the challenges related with RF, it is important to emphasize that recognizing the significant number of anglers worldwide and their typical affinity for the environment, RF can be a powerful tool for both sustainable management of resources and for economic development. This article seeks to explore these points further.

Many RF are involved in the conservation, preservation and rehabilitation of aquatic habitats. This involvement seems natural as anglers often pursue RF due to their enjoyment of the natural environment, escape from the routine, sense of freedom and other diverse values.

RF can actively support important research through citizen science initiatives and fisheries management. In countries with public fishing rights, revenue from the sale of angling licenses has supported conservation projects, while in countries with private fishing rights, angling clubs and associations are partially responsible by law to manage fish population and habitats.

In addition, it is also important to consider that RF is usually constituted by self-financed and self-organized lobbies that are powerful enough to achieve conservation and rehabilitation goals, with little or no government support. However, it must be clear that these types of lobbies are working towards efforts that are truly for the environment and take into consideration impacts on commercial fishers, who fish for their livelihood and food/nutrition security.

The role of Recreational Fisheries in sustainable management of resources and on economic development

RF has the potential to significantly stimulate economic development. As fish caught from RF are typically not part of a direct market transaction, the economic contribution of RF requires alternative approaches in order to find its value. For instance, the RF sector supports various economic activities related to fishing, such as travel, accommodation, boat rental, motor construction or repair, bait and tackle supply, infrastructure, restaurants, etc. The World Bank has estimated that anglers spend approximately US$190 billion annually related to recreational fishing, contributing about USD$70 billion per year to global gross domestic product. These are probably low estimates, not including the large revenue streams for fishing tackle.

In some developing countries, RF is directly linked with the development of the tourism sector, with recognition of the value these fisheries can create through tourist angler visits. In Costa Rica, foreign anglers were estimated to generate US$279 million in new capital and roughly 63 000 jobs in 2008. In Panama, anglers contribute an estimated US$48.4 million to annual GDP and support about 9 500 jobs.

As RF develops and expands in line with tourism, the tourism sector must address environmental and socio-cultural consequences of RF. Unfortunately, coastal reefs, lagoons, mangroves and other areas have already been destroyed in many developing countries due to resort construction, excessive visitation, pollution and other interferences. Such environmental degradation has negative consequences for nations trying to benefit from the exceptionally high-value global tourist angler market. Local communities must be taken into consideration as well as large-scale tourism too often does not directly involve communities, viewing them simply as a labor force without offering any real opportunity for community economic growth. Furthermore, cultural changes can be brought in by tourists and unaccepted by locals, who often feel their community and culture is being negatively impacted by tourism.

Efforts made to reduce the negative impact from tourism have led to a new trend called ‘eco-tourism’. 
Ecotourism can be defined as responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. Models aligned with ecotourism should follow principles such as environmental conservation, community participation, preservation and promotion of local heritage.