Integrative spatial assessment of status and trends in a commercial-recreational coastal fishery for Northern Pike, with implications for management

Details

• Journal Title:
  Marine and Coastal Fisheries
• Personal Author:
  Radinger, Johannes ; Riepe, Carsten ; Koemle, Dieter ; Ahrens, Rob ; Parker, Stephen W ; Roser, Phillip ; Rittweg, Timo ; Arlinghaus, Robert
• NOAA Program & Office:
  NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) ; PIFSC (Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center) ; NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service)
• Description:
  Objective Competition over resource access can drive conflict between commercial fishers and recreational anglers, especially when fish stocks are declining. This study presents a spatially explicit integrative assessment of Northern Pike Esox lucius fisheries across five major brackish lagoons around Rügen Island (Germany) in the southern Baltic Sea, combining social and ecological indicators of status and trends. Methods We combined an extensive mark-recapture-based approach with catch-curve analysis to estimate spatially differentiated, user-group-specific fishing mortality rates, as well as natural mortality rates acting on the coastal pike across five lagoons. Using surveys, we assessed the preferences of fishers and anglers for different lagoons as a measure of their social desirability. Additionally, we examined long-term commercial landings as a coarse indicator of stock trends. Finally, we formed a composite index combining spatially explicit social-ecological use and status indicators to provide an integrative perspective. Results Current fishing pressure on pike as assessed by captures was similar for anglers and commercial fishers, with an annual potential instantaneous fishing mortality rate F of 0.10 (∼9.5% per year) for each sector. However, when considering only retained fish due to widespread catch-and-release practices by anglers, commercial fishers removed approximately twice as many pike as anglers did during the study period (2020-2022). Spatial analyses revealed pronounced differences in fishing and natural mortality rates among lagoons, while the long-term trend in commercial landings suggested a declining pike population. Integration of the various indicators revealed that the largest lagoon in the study area, the Greifswalder Bodden, exhibited the largest number of threats. Conclusions Our findings suggest that a combination of lagoon-specific management measures tailored to either commercial or recreational fisheries, embedded in an ecosystem-based management approach, may be necessary to recover the pike fishery, which is currently showing strong stock declines. Implementing such measures can reduce conflicts between user groups, protect and recover pike stocks, and ensure sustainable benefits for both commercial and recreational fisheries.
• Source:
  Marine and Coastal Fisheries, 18(4)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.1093/mcfafs/vtag013
• ISSN:
  1942-5120
• Format:
  pdf
• Publisher:
  Oxford University Press (OUP)
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• License:
  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Rights Information:
  CC BY
• Compliance:
  Library
• Download URL:
  https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/76277/noaa_76277_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 16.29 MB]
• Collection(s):
  National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8d8b50aca5c7a32e364b874bcb5d63f9493537553a8245d259641634ae40d3fc2569988ade7d3a39ebba617fdcf3ce7e8567e9b860dc817a1ca82f6cf73a1287