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ISSN 1020-5292 FAO TECHNICAL GUIDELINES FOR RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES 13 RECREATIONALRECREATIONAL FISHERIESFISHERIES These Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries are focused on recreational fisheries and describe strategies to promote environmentally sustainable and socially responsible management of such fisheries. To this end, the document details policy, management and behavioural recommendations for sustainable recreational fisheries that are an increasingly important component of global fisheries. Specifically, the Guidelines translate the relevant provisions of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries into specific advice for recreational fisheries. The concept of aquatic stewardship is introduced as an overarching ethical framework needed to achieve ecologically sustainable recreational fisheries on a global scale. Within this normative mindset, the adaptive management philosophy based on quantifiable and transparent objectives and continuous learning and feedback loops is proposed along with the acknowledgement of principles such as the ecosystem approach and the precautionary approach. Adherence to the guidelines and recommendations presented in this document will enable policy-makers, managers and the entire recreational fisheries sector to orient recreational fisheries towards maintaining or achieving sustainability. ISBN 978-92-5-107214-1 ISSN 1020-5292 9 789251 072141 I2708E/1/04.12 Cover illustration: Emanuela D’Antoni FAO TECHNICAL GUIDELINES FOR RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES 13 RECREATIONALRECREATIONAL FISHERIESFISHERIES FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Rome, 2012 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAO. ISBN 978-92-5-107214-1 All rights reserved. FAO encourages reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. Non-commercial uses will be authorized free of charge, upon request. Reproduction for resale or other commercial purposes, including educational purposes, may incur fees. Applications for permission to reproduce or disseminate FAO copyright materials, and all queries concerning rights and licences, should be addressed by e-mail to [email protected] or to the Chief, Publishing Policy and Support Branch, Office of Knowledge Exchange, Research and Extension, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy. © FAO 2012 iii PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT hese technical guidelines have been prepared by Robert Arlinghaus (Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries [IGB] and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany), Steven J. Cooke (Carleton TUniversity, Canada) and Brett M. Johnson (Colorado State University, the United States of America) under the coordination of Raymon van Anrooy (FAO, Subregional Office for Central Asia, now at the Subregional Office for the Caribbean). Their production has been supported by Devin Bartley and Blaise Kuemlangan from FAO. The FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (the Code), owing to its history, is focused on marine capture fisheries, with some coverage of aquaculture. Recreational fisheries issues, while implicit, are not specifically addressed, and many of the provisions in the Code are not well aligned to the sector’s requirements. The FAO Resolution 4/95 adopting the Code on 31 October 1995 requested FAO inter alia to elaborate appropriate technical guidelines in support of the implementation of the Code in collaboration with members and interested relevant organizations. The only previous FAO-related document that directly targets recreational fisheries issues is theEIFAC Code of Practice for Recreational Fisheries of the European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission (EIFAC). These Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries: Recreational Fisheries (TGRF) are based on the Code, embrace the EIFAC Code of Practice for Recreational Fisheries, and overall fill an important gap by explicitly dealing with the salient issues faced by recreational fisheries inland and marine ecosystems. Initial discussions leading to the preparation of these Guidelines took place: at an International EIFAC Workshop on a Code of Practice for Recreational Fisheries on 5–6 November 2007, in Bilthoven, the Netherlands; at the Twenty-fifth Session of EIFAC, 21–28 May 2008, in Antalya, Turkey, held in conjunction with the EIFAC Symposium on Interactions between Economic and Ecological Objectives of Inland Commercial and Recreational Fisheries and Aquaculture; at the FAO Regional Workshop on Recreational Fisheries in Central Asia, 14–16 September 2009, in Issyk Kul, Kyrgyzstan; and at the FAO Workshop on Implementation of the Ecosystem Approach in Inland Fisheries, held 7–10 December 2010, in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. After completion of a first draft by Robert Arlinghaus, Steven J. Cooke and Brett M. Johnson, an FAO Expert Consultation on the Technical Guidelines for iv Responsible Fisheries: Recreational Fisheries was convened on 5–6 August 2011 in Berlin, Germany, under the auspices of FAO staff consisting of Raymon van Anrooy, Devin Bartley, Blaise Kuemlangan, Karine Erikstein and Cana Salur. This was in conjunction with the Sixth World Recreational Fishing Conference, held 1–4 August 2011 at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. The Consultation was hosted by the Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes of the IGB in Berlin, Germany, and was organized by Raymon van Anrooy and Cana Salur (FAO), and Robert Arlinghaus and Leonore Osswald (IGB). The Consultation was attended by ten international experts (Ian Cowx, Michel Dedual, Jan Kappel, Robert Kramer, Katia de Meirelles Felizola Freire, Mucai Muchiri, Warren Potts, Claudia Stella Beltran Turriago, Roy Stein, and Joko Tamura), three resource persons (Robert Arlinghaus, Steven J. Cooke, Brett M. Johnson) and six observers (Andy Danylchuk, Russell Dunn, Phil Hickley, Tom Ratfican, Jason Schratwieser, and Matti Sipponen). These people collectively represented a wide range of recreational fisheries expertise, experience and geographical areas, including Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. The initial drafts of the guidelines and all subsequent revisions were prepared by Robert Arlinghaus, Steven J. Cooke and Brett M. Johnson. Phil Hickley edited the final draft and Eva-Maria Cyrus provided editorial assistance with the reference list. Drafts were commented by the above-mentioned experts, and Devin Bartley, Blaise Kuemlangan and Raymon van Anrooy provided editorial assistance in finalizing the manuscript. Sean Landsman and Andy Danylchuk provided the photographs for Figure 16. Core project funding was provided by FAO. Further funding was received by Robert Arlinghaus through the project Besatzfisch (www.besatz-fisch.de, funding period 2010–13, grant No. 01UU0907) granted by the Federal German Ministry for Education and Research in the Social-ecological Research programme. Steven J. Cooke was further supported by the Canada Research Chairs Program, the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, Carleton University, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. v FAO. Recreational fisheries. FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries. No. 13. Rome, FAO. 2012. 176 pp. ABSTRACT Recreational fishing is defined as fishing of aquatic animals (mainly fish) that do not constitute the individual’s primary resource to meet basic nutritional needs and are not generally sold or otherwise traded on export, domestic or black markets. Recreational fishing constitutes the dominant use of wild fish stocks in all freshwaters of industrialized countries, and it is prominent in many coastal ecosystems. The importance of recreational fisheries is increasing rapidly in many transitional economies. The present Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries are focused on recreational fisheries and describe strategies to promote environmentally sustainable and socially responsible management of such fisheries. To this end, the document details policy, management and behavioural recommendations for sustainable recreational fisheries that are an increasingly important component of global fisheries. Specifically, the Guidelines translate the relevant provisions of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries into specific advice for recreational fisheries. The concept of aquatic stewardship is introduced as an overarching ethical framework needed to achieve ecologically sustainable recreational fisheries on a global scale. Within this normative mindset, the adaptive management philosophy based on quantifiable and transparent objectives and continuous learning and feedback loops is proposed along with the acknowledgement of principles such as the ecosystem approach and the precautionary approach. Detailed sections on policy and institutional frameworks (tailored towards policy-makers), recreational fisheries management