Marine recreational fishing : perceptions and contingent behaviour

Abstract

The 2002 biennial survey of citizen perceptions of the environment and its management (Hughey et al., 2002) assessed perceptions about the marine environment, participation in marine recreational fishing, and responses to introduction of a recreational marine fishing licence. Information on perceptions of the marine environment and its management was obtained in a form consistent with the pressure-state-response model used widely for state of the environment reporting. Citizens perceive that fishery quality is adequate, but may be getting worse. Fish numbers are moderate to low and harvest is getting more difficult. Fishers believe that the quality of marine fisheries management is adequate to poor. Although fishery quality is judged to be declining, people do not rank the need to spend additional money on marine fishery management differently to other potential recipients of environmental and conservation expenditures. About 34% of survey respondents participate in recreational marine fishing. Survey responses suggest high levels of poaching if a marine recreational fishing licence were introduced, with about a third of current fishers stating intentions to fish without a licence. Licence purchases decline as the licence fee increases, which has implications for licence revenues and fishery quality.