The increasing importance of marine recreational fishing in the US: Challenges for management

Harvests from recreational fishing are increasingly as important as commercial harvest to populations of popularly fished marine recreational species. However, it has yet to be determined whether the increasing importance of recreational fishing is a general trend of marine fisheries in the US or whether such a trend is limited to only those species recognized as popular recreational fishes. 71% of marine species in the US have experienced an increase in the proportion of total harvest from the recreational sector during the time harvest data are available for both sectors. Species demonstrating an increase in the proportion of harvests by the recreational sector included those generally regarded as commercial, bait, and bycatch species, as well as those considered recreational species. Marine species categorized as overfished could not be predicted from either fishery characteristics or life history characteristics in a PCA analysis of available data for fished species in the US. Consequently, there appears to be little to predict vulnerability of populations to fishing efforts save that all fished species can be made vulnerable to overexploitation. Well-developed yield-based strategies, designed for commercial fisheries, are not likely to be effective in managing populations as the diverse recreational fishing sector continues to increase in its importance. Thus, new management strategies for US marine fisheries are needed. Some possible alternative strategies are discussed.