Angler interactions with American eel (Anguilla rostrata): Exploring perspectives and behaviors toward an imperiled fish

•Many anglers were, or would be, uncomfortable handling an eel if they captured one.•Almost half of anglers declared a limited or lack of knowledge about eels.•Discomfort and limited knowledge of eels may impede support for their conservation. As aquatic biodiversity continues to decline, recreational anglers are interacting more frequently with imperiled species. As a result, management strategies must be developed to balance fisheries management and conservation objectives. Understanding the human dimensions of these encounters is important for both fisheries management and conservation objectives, because decisions made by anglers have a direct impact on the fish. This work explores angler perspectives and behaviors toward American Eel (Anguilla rostrata), a species listed as Endangered in the Canadian province of Ontario and globally (IUCN Red Listed as Endangered), and not typically targeted by recreational anglers in Ontario. Interviews with 48 anglers on the Ottawa River revealed that almost half had captured an eel at some point, but few had intentionally killed eels (in each case prior to the eel’s Endangered status listing in Ontario). However, a large proportion of respondents were, or would be, uncomfortable handling eels if captured, and almost half of respondents declared a limited or lack of knowledge about the species. These findings suggest that discomfort around eels and limited knowledge about their value (both ecological and economical) do not cause direct harm to eels but may impede full public support for conservation of the species.