Ecosystem-Based Angling: Incorporating Recreational Anglers Into Ecosystem-Based Management

Coastal management institutions and recreational fishermen share concerns about the current state of marine fisheries. This article provides coastal managers with an outreach framework for recreational fishers that contextualizes social and ecosystem information toward the goals of ecosystem-based management. Based on a survey of anglers conducted at saltwater fishing expositions in the Northeast United States and on the literature, we report data on perceptions of recreational anglers about potential threats, individual fishing impacts, preferred modes of communication, conceptions, and behavior. We conclude that outreach campaigns should (a) focus on the perceived threats to the resource, (b) contextualize and justify the recommended pro-ecological target behaviors, (c) include topics of general interest to anglers, and (d) communicate through socially trusted sources.