Publication Date
1-1-2024
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Frontiers in Marine Science
Volume
11
DOI
10.3389/fmars.2024.1330498
Abstract
Collaborative fisheries research programs engage stakeholders in data collection efforts, often with the benefit of increasing transparency about the status and management of natural resources. These programs are particularly important in marine systems, where management of recreational and commercial fisheries have historically been contentious. One such program is the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP), which was designed in 2006 to engage recreational anglers in the scientific process and evaluate the efficacy of California’s network of marine protected areas. CCFRP began on the Central Coast of California and expanded statewide in 2017 to include six partner institutions in three regions: Northern, Central, and Southern California. To date, over 2,000 volunteer anglers have participated in the program, with many anglers volunteering for multiple years. However, the impacts of outreach, education, and collaborative research on those anglers at the statewide scale are currently unknown. Thus, the objective of the current study was to survey the statewide pool of volunteer anglers to assess the degree to which participation in CCFRP has influenced angler perceptions of MPAs, fisheries management, and conservation. We received 259 completed surveys out of a pool of 1,386 active anglers, equating to an 18.7% response rate. Participation in CCFRP resulted in a significant, positive impact on anglers’ attitudes towards MPAs in California across all regions. Anglers who participated in six or more CCFRP fishing trips had a more positive perception of MPAs than those who participated in fewer trips. Volunteer anglers across all regions perceived that they caught larger fishes, a higher abundance of fishes, and a greater diversity of species inside MPAs, consistent with the ecological findings of the program. These results highlight the benefits of involving community members in collaborative scientific research. Collaboration between researchers and the broader community increases transparency and trust between stakeholders, and results in greater understanding of natural resource dynamics, ultimately producing better management outcomes.
Funding Number
C0752003
Funding Sponsor
California Ocean Protection Council
Keywords
angler perceptions, angler surveys, California marine protected areas, collaborative fisheries research, marine citizen science, participatory science, stakeholder engagement
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
Recommended Citation
Erin M. Johnston, Grant T. Waltz, Rosamaria Kosaka, Ellie M. Brauer, Shelby L. Ziegler, Erica T. Jarvis Mason, Hunter S. Glanz, Lauren Zaragoza, Allison N. Kellum, Rachel O. Brooks, Brice X. Semmens, Christopher J. Honeyman, Jennifer E. Caselle, Lyall F. Bellquist, Sadie L. Small, Steven G. Morgan, Timothy J. Mulligan, Connor L. Coscino, and Jay M. Staton. "Participation in collaborative fisheries research improves the perceptions of recreational anglers towards marine protected areas" Frontiers in Marine Science (2024). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1330498
