Decrease in recreational fisher compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Rockfish Conservation Areas

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dc.contributor.authorBan, Natalie C.
dc.contributor.authorMiltner, Chessi
dc.contributor.authorMatthews, Charlotte
dc.contributor.authorAnkenman, Madeleine
dc.contributor.authorStelte, Sarah
dc.contributor.authorHaggarty, Dana
dc.contributor.authorDavies, Hailey L.
dc.contributor.authorVenturelli, Paul A.
dc.contributor.authorJuanes, Francis
dc.date.accessioned2024-03-21T23:14:14Z
dc.date.available2024-03-21T23:14:14Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.description.abstractLittle is known about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on recreational fisheries compliance. Starting in 2015, we monitored recreational fishing activity in Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs) with trail cameras overlooking RCAs around Galiano Island, Canada. We also carried out in-person surveys with recreational fishers at marinas and docks to assess recreational fisher compliance with RCAs. Questions included asking fishers whether they had accidentally or intentionally fished inside RCAs with prohibited techniques in the past two years. The number of suspected or confirmed angling incidents that we observed on the trail cameras declined steadily from 2015 to 2019, and then increased significantly during the pandemic to the highest levels seen during our eight years of data collection. The number of fishers who admitted to intentionally or accidentally fishing in RCAs in the past two years with prohibited gears did not change during the pandemic, although there was an apparent but not statistically significant increase in the number of respondents who personally knew someone who intentionally fished in RCAs. Our study corroborates other research that showed a response of pandemic lockdowns on illegal activities. High non-compliance highlights the ongoing need for education, outreach, and increased enforcement.
dc.description.reviewstatusReviewed
dc.description.scholarlevelFaculty
dc.description.sponsorshipThis work was supported by the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF_2019_006_2) as supported by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Province of British Columbia. NCB and FJ were supported by NSERC.HLD was supported by the University of Victoria.
dc.identifier.citationBan, N. C., Miltner, C., Matthews, C. H., Ankenman, M., Stelte, S., Haggarty, D., Davies, H. L., Venturelli, P. A., & Juanes, F. (2022). Decrease in recreational fisher compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Rockfish Conservation Areas. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 79(8), 2277–2285. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsac160
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsac160
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1828/16264
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherICES Journal of Marine Science
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.subjectmarine conservation
dc.subjectmarine protected areas
dc.subjectnon-compliance
dc.subjectrecreational fisheries
dc.subjectrockfish
dc.subjectspatial management
dc.subject.departmentSchool of Environmental Studies
dc.subject.departmentDepartment of Biology
dc.titleDecrease in recreational fisher compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Rockfish Conservation Areas
dc.typeArticle

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