"Increasing coastal populations, rising recreational demand, and growing conflicts with other users are adding to the challenge of managing marine recreational fisheries today. Traditional regulations - such as daily bag limits and seasonal closures - are often not enough to control fishing impacts and they tend to generate greater discontent and lower economic benefits in the angling community as they become more restrictive. This volume is the first to examine management approaches that promise to better control fishing, generate more information on fishing impacts, and give anglers more freedom to enjoy their sport."--BOOK JACKET.

"Increasing coastal populations, rising recreational demand, and growing conflicts with other users are adding to the challenge of managing marine recreational fisheries today. Traditional regulations - such as daily bag limits and seasonal closures - are often not enough to control fishing impacts and they tend to generate greater discontent and lower economic benefits in the angling community as they become more restrictive. This volume is the first to examine management approaches that promise to better control fishing, generate more information on fishing impacts, and give anglers more freedom to enjoy their sport."--BOOK JACKET.

The importance of recreational fisheries is increasing in many transitional economies. These guidelines focus on recreational fisheries and describe strategies to promote environmentally sustainable and socially responsible management of such fisheries. To this end, the document details policy, managerial and behavioural recommendations for sustainable recreational fisheries.

Recreational fishing in the United States is an important social and economic component of many marine fisheries, with an estimated 14 million anglers making almost 82 million fishing trips in 2004. Although each individual angler typically harvests a small number of fish, collectively these sport fisheries can take a significant fraction of the yearly catch-in some cases more than commercial fisheries. For example, in 1999, recreational fishing accounted for 94% of the total catch of spotted sea trout, 76% of striped bass and sheephead, and 60 percent of king mackerel. It is important that systems used to monitor fishing catch are adequate for timely management of recreational fisheries. However, the large number of anglers and access points makes monitoring recreational fishing much more difficult than monitoring commercial fishing. This report reviews the types of survey methods used to estimate catch in recreational fisheries, including state/federal cooperative programs. The report finds that both telephone survey and onsite access components of the current monitoring systems have serious flaws in design or implementation. There are also several areas of miscommunication and mismatched criteria among designers of surveys, data collectors, and recreational fisheries. The report recommends that a comprehensive, universal sampling frame with national coverage should be established, and that improvements should be made in statistical analysis of the data collected and in the ways the data are communicated. A permanent and independent research group should be established and funded to evaluate the statistical design and adequacy of recreational fishery surveys and to guide necessary modifications or new initiatives.

Fluctuations and declines in marine fish populations have caused growing concern among marine scientists, fisheries managers, commercial and recreational fishers, and the public. Sustaining Marine Fisheries explores the nature of marine ecosystems and the complex interacting factors that shape their productivity. The book documents the condition of marine fisheries today, highlighting species and geographic areas that are under particular stress. Challenges to achieving sustainability are discussed, and shortcomings of existing fisheries management and regulation are examined. The volume calls for fisheries management to adopt a broader ecosystem perspective that encompasses all relevant environmental and human influences. Sustaining Marine Fisheries offers new approaches to building workable fisheries management institutions, improving scientific data, and developing management tools. The book recommends ways to change current practices that encourage overexploitation of fish resources. It will be of special interest to marine policymakers and ecologists, fisheries regulators and managers, fisheries scientists and marine ecologists, fishers, and concerned individuals.

Recreational or sports fishing is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide and in many countries represents an important social and cultural activity. In some regions, it also contributes significant income to tourism and tackle businesses. In addition to its importance from a social and economic standpoint, the impact of recreational fishing on the environment and on food webs can often be substantial. This important book represents the major output from the 4th World Recreational Fishing Conference held in Norway in June 2005. The conference focused on several topics and targeted all stakeholders in the recreational fishing sector, including researchers, managers, NGO representatives and businesses. This book reflects that diversity, encompassing a variety of approaches within its carefully selected and fully peer-reviewed chapters. Global Challenges in Recreational Fisheries is an essential purchase for fisheries managers, multidisciplinary fisheries scientists, marine and freshwater biologists, ecologists and environmental scientists. The book is highly relevant for graduate university courses in fisheries management and fisheries sciences. Libraries in all universities, government fish and wildlife agencies and research establishments where these subjects are studied and taught will need copies of this important publication.