The constant stream of new technology being developed for recreational fishing – from new hook designs to the use of aerial drones to scouting reports widely available on social media – is placing new pressures on the aquatic resource and on fisheries management.
Fishing technology has come a long way since the days of hook and worm. Today’s sporting goods stores and online retailers offer advances like underwater cameras and fish finders to help anglers locate and monitor the fish they pursue, lures that wriggle like minnows and are slathered in fish-attracting scent, and new hook designs to help with setting the hook into the fish’s jaws.
But the science of fisheries management has not kept up with the developments that fishing gear manufacturers continue to introduce into the second most popular leisure activity in North America.
That disparity is creating challenges for management and policy making, according to a study co-authored by Andy Danylchuk, professor of fish conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
“There are still so many unknowns,” he said. “There’s more attention paid to products we use with our pets than to what we use to try to catch fish in our streams, lakes and oceans.”
Steven Cooke, professor of fish ecology at Carleton University and the study’s lead author, added, “From improvements in finding and catching fish, to emulating their natural prey and accessing previously inaccessible waters, to anglers sharing their exploits with others, technology is completely changing all aspects of recreational fishing.”
Without knowing what impact all that advanced technology has on the fish and their aquatic ecosystems, it has become difficult for fisheries managers to monitor the health of the fishery, and to ensure that the fishing experience is a positive one.
What that means for the research and management community is that more attention needs to be paid to the effects of high-tech fishing equipment.
“An important message here is that resource management agencies need to share their experiences and that scientists should more intensively study the impact of innovations in recreational fishing,” write the study’s authors.
“If science can’t keep up in terms of evaluating the impacts of technological innovation to help inform management and policy, it can be really detrimental to the fish, which may ultimately mean fewer fish, and a worse fishing experience for anglers,” said Danylchuk.
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The Link LonkJune 05, 2021 at 12:48AM
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New technology poses challenges for fishing and fish management - pennlive.com
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