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REEL VALUES10 February 2004 Recreational fishing is a way of life for more than 800,000 Queenslanders, and generates around $240 million a year to the State's economy. But for recreational fishers, the benefits of their pastime are far more than its economic value. CRC Reef Researchers from James Cook University are now studying what motivates people to go fishing. From 16th February, CRC Reef researcher Dr Stephen Sutton from James Cook University will be asking 3000 Recreational fishers across Queensland about the social benefits of recreational fishing. “Recreational fishing is about more than the fish on the table at the end of the day, or the money the sport injects into communities, it's about lifestyle and family values,” according to Dr Sutton. Previous surveys of recreational fishers have concentrated on what species have been caught, the types of people who go fishing, and where and how often they fish. “Queensland Government figures show, for instance, that a lot of men go fishing, as do children of all ages. This suggests that fishing may be an important way for fathers to interact with their kids, so that's one of the things we'll be testing in our survey,” Dr Sutton said. The survey will also investigate fishers' attitudes toward conservation, catch-and-release, fish consumption, and the management of fisheries and marine parks. “This study will collect missing information on the social values and benefits of recreational fishing,” says Dr Sutton. “It will also give anglers a voice in how they feel recreational fisheries should be managed.” The questionnaires are being designed in collaboration with Sunfish Queensland, Queensland Fisheries Service, and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. The team will be phoning 3,000 recreational fishers across Queensland in February, to ask them a few simple questions about their motivations for fishing, and to find participants for a more detailed mail survey that will take place in March. This will be the first time that a mail survey of recreational fishers has been carried out in Queensland. The telephone survey will take 5-10 minutes and participation is voluntary. Confidentiality will be ensured, and no names will be stored with the information from these surveys. “This project has the potential to be of great benefit to recreational fishers, but to succeed it needs the support of the community. We're hoping to get a very positive response from the telephone survey so that this study can adequately represent the views of recreational fishers in Queensland ,” said Dr Sutton. Information on the study is available on the CRC Reef website at: www.reef.crc.org.au and results from the surveys will be made available to the public. For more information: Dr Steve Sutton, CRC Reef
Research Centre and James Cook University , 07 4781 5510, stephen.sutton@jcu.edu.au
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