Understanding Angler Preferences and Participation for Management of Alabama Recreational Fisheries

Abstract

Due to recent declines in the number of licensed freshwater anglers, there is an increasing demand to understand angler preferences and how that impacts participation. Incorporating angler characteristics into traditional fisheries management allows mangers to better understand how a fishery is being utilized and how changes might impact those users. Key areas where anglers differ that impact participation rates are their motivations for fishing, their level of specialization as an angler, catch orientation, and their species and setting preferences for selecting where to fish. Despite extensive research on angler characteristics within the literature, state – wide surveys that include research on anglers and how they can influence management decisions has never been studied in Alabama. This paper address those research needs, demonstrating critical differences within the angler population, and how those differences can help inform management decisions to aid in angler recruitment and retention efforts.