Advancing an Integrated Protocol for Rapid Assessment of Catch-And-Release Recreational
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Advancing an integrated protocol for rapid assessment of catch-and-release recreational fisheries in the developing world by Shannon Bower A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Biology Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario © 2017, Shannon Bower Dedication I dedicate this work to the hidden gods of India, who shine in every run and riffle on the river; to the mahseer, who shared their secrets; and to F., J. and H., who left too soon but shared and inspired so much. Special thanks and boundless gratitude to E., for walking with me, and to B. and F., for believing always. ii Abstract The global recreational fishing sector is the dominant fishing sector in freshwaters of the highly developed world and often more economically powerful than commercial fisheries, yet it is also ignored in international policy and suffers widespread data deficiencies from a lack of research. Despite the magnitude of potential benefits and consequences, little is known about recreational fishing activity, particularly in developing countries. I propose using an integrated rapid assessment protocol that adopts a social-ecological systems (SES) approach to address data deficiencies in catch and release (C&R) recreational fisheries of the developing world. In this work, I use the mahseer (Tor spp.) C&R recreational fishery of the Cauvery River, India as a case study. This dissertation identifies which linkages in the SES are most likely to influence sustainable management of the mahseer recreational fishery. To identify the nature and scope of the knowledge gaps in recreational fisheries of the developing world, I conducted a survey of fisheries professionals to rank knowledge and management needs. The results of the survey confirmed that recreational fisheries are subject to severe data deficiencies that require local level assessment to resolve. I then worked with local stakeholders to prioritize a research agenda that identified the need to research physiological responses of mahseer to C&R and angler behaviours and perspectives as valuable to this fishery. Therefore, I examined the physiological responses of mahseer to C&R, measured mahseer post-release movements, and compared the responses of mahseer caught multiple times through simulated capture processes. Finally, I conducted angler surveys to identify angler behaviours, perspectives, and information sources, then used expert interviews to place this information in local context. Overall, results show that mahseer are robust to C&R, but larger mahseer are likely to experience negative consequences post-release, and effects of combined stressors may be cumulatively interacting. There are iii opportunities to improve relationships among management organizations, angling groups and local communities to improve information flow and benefit-sharing throughout the mahseer fishery. The integrated rapid assessment protocol provides essential baseline data on biological and social responses to recreational fishing activity, and acts as a roadmap to guide future research and management efforts. Keywords: conservation social science, data deficiencies, fish conservation, freshwater fisheries, India, mahseer, social-ecological systems iv Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge the contributions of many individuals to this body of work. I extend my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Steven J. Cooke, for offering countless pieces of advice, an extraordinary amount of trust, and unwavering support. Thanks go out too to my essential collaborators, Dr. Andy Danylchuk and Dr. Rajeev Raghavan, for never failing to offer invaluable perspectives, limitless assistance, and enthusiasm. My formidable committee consisting of Drs. Jeremy Kerr, Douglas Beard, and John Dettmers offered much-needed advice and kept me on track throughout the process. It has been my great pleasure to collaborate with numerous professors, fisheries professionals, fellow students, volunteers, and anglers along the way on everything from manuscript writing to reel repair, and I am grateful to have worked with and learned from each and every one of you. Special acknowledgements go out to Shireen Bliss, Vivian Nguyen, Jacqueline Chapman, Petra Szekeres, Jill Brooks, Sascha Clark-Danylchuk, Lisa Donaldson, Trina Rytwinski, Jessica Taylor, Robert Lennox, Dan Struthers, Jake Brownscombe, Jason Thiem, and Nick Lapointe for hours spent in and on the water, and hours spent talking fish in the office and the pub. I extend special thanks to frequent collaborators from recreational fishing organizations operating in India, including the Coorg Wildlife Society, the Wildlife Association of South India, the All India Game Fishing Association, the Mahseer Trust, Pelagic Tribe, Metaphoronline.In, and the Karnataka Fisheries Department for all of the support and assistance generously offered. In particular, I owe Sandeep Chakrabarti, Derek D’Souza, Aiyappa C.P., Shyam Aiyappa, Adrian Pinder, Steve Lockett, Saravanan Shanmugam, Alexis Greenwood, and Marcus Greenwood a debt I could never repay, as this work truly could not have been completed without you. This work tells the story of the fish of the gods who live in the river, and the people who live by those stories. I hope I have done them justice. v Thesis Format and Co-authorship This dissertation consists of eight full chapters, including six data chapters in manuscript format. Two are currently published in peer-reviewed journals, two are currently under review in peer- reviewed journals, and the two remaining data chapters are currently being prepared for submission to peer-reviewed journals. As such, there is some repetition throughout the various chapters (particularly in the introductions to each chapter). All chapters in this dissertation reflect my research, however, many co-authors contributed to each study. Below, I list my contributions, and those of my co-authors, to each chapter. Chapter 2. Knowledge gaps and management priorities for recreational fisheries in the developing world Bower, S.D., Aas, O., Arlinghaus, R., Beard, T.D. Jr., Cowx, I.G., Danylchuk, A., Friere, K., Potts, W., Sutton, S., and Cooke, S.J. In Review. Knowledge gaps and management priorities for recreational fisheries in the developing world. Fish and Fisheries I designed the study, collected and analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript. All co-authors contributed to manuscript editing. Cooke, Aas, Arlinghaus, Potts, Friere, and Sutton additionally contributed to survey design. Cowx and Beard contributed to identifying potential respondents. Chapter 3. Involving recreational fisheries stakeholders in development of research and conservation priorities for mahseer (Tor spp.) of India through collaborative workshops Bower, S.D., Danylchuk, A.J., Raghavan, R., Clark-Danylchuk, S., Pinder, A., Alter, A., and S.J. Cooke. 2017. Involving stakeholders in development of research and conservation priorities for mahseer (Tor spp.) of India using hands-on research participation and workshops. Fisheries Research. 186(3):665-671. vi I designed the study, collected and analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript. All co-authors contributed to manuscript editing. Danylchuk and Cooke additionally contributed to study design. All authors participated in conducting workshops and Raghavan, Pinder, and Alter were integral to organizing workshops. Chapter 4. Rapid assessment of the physiological impacts caused by catch-and-release angling on blue-finned mahseer (Tor sp.) of the Cauvery River, India Bower, S.D., A.J. Danylchuk, R. Raghavan, S. Clark-Danylchuk, A. Pinder and S.J. Cooke. 2016. Rapid assessment of the physiological impacts caused by catch-and-release angling on blue-finned mahseer (Tor sp.) of the Cauvery River, India. Fisheries Management and Ecology. 23: 208-217. I designed the study, collected and analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript. All co-authors contributed to manuscript editing. Danylchuk and Cooke additionally contributed to study design. All authors participated in field work. Chapter 5. Identifying sub-lethal behavioural responses of Tor khudree to catch-and- release recreational angling using radio telemetry Bower, S.D., Mahesh, N., Raghavan, R., Danylchuk, A.J., and Cooke, S.J. (In Review). Sub- lethal responses of mahseer (Tor khudree) to catch-and-release recreational fishing. Fisheries Research, WRFC8 Special Issue. I designed the study, collected and analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript. All co-authors contributed to manuscript editing. Danylchuk and Cooke additionally contributed to study design. Mahesh participated in field work and was integral to organizing logistics. vii Chapter 6. Consequences of simulated multiple catch and release events on reflex impairment, ventilation rate, and body condition in Tor khudree Bower, S.D., Raghavan, R., Danylchuk, A.J., Szekeres, P., and Cooke, S.J. (In Prep). Consequences of simulated multiple catch and release events to whole body impairment and body condition in Tor khudree. I designed the study, collected and analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript. All co-authors contributed to manuscript editing. Cooke additionally contributed to study design. Szekeres participated in field work. Chapter 7. Angler perceptions and expert knowledge of the Cauvery River mahseer (Tor khudree) catch-and-release recreational fishery in Karnataka, India Bower, S.D., Raghavan, R., Danylchuk, A.J., Potts, W.N., Sutton, S., and Cooke, S.J. (In Prep).