National Recreational Fishing Survey 2019-21 PART I MELBOURNE
Ross Winstanley
In February this year, the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) released the report of the first comprehensive study focused on the social and economic benefits flowing from recreational fishing in Australia. It provides a detailed picture of recreational fishers across Australia; their numbers, where and how often they fish; their motivations and behaviours; and the social and economic benefits they generate across the country.
objective was added (see below) and the study timeline was extended. BRIEF HISTORY The previous ‘national recreational fishing survey,’ conducted in 1999-2000, provided the first description of fishing catch and related fishing effort, and participation in recreational fishing in Australia. As a key benchmark, it found that 19.5% of Australians aged five and older fished during the 12-month study period. It also described the reasons why people decide to go fishing, how much they spend on fishing, and their attitudes and opinions on issues relevant to fishing in their state.
understanding of the nature and extent of social and economic benefits of recreational fishing.” Moreover, 20 years on, as well as growing substantially, Australia’s population has changed in many ways, socially and culturally, in ways likely to have influenced the nature and extent of participation in recreational fishing, and community attitudes towards fishing. Hence, the need for deeper examination of the social and economic ‘performance’ and contributions from recreational fishing. Fortunately, as with the estimation of recreational catches and participation, the past 20 years have
resulting from stress, injury and personal loss. Other emerging areas of interest include “social licence” – the state of broad community acceptance of recreational fishing – and fishers’ growing
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That study established the catch size and species make-up of fish and other aquatic species taken by angling, diving, and other means, by fishers in each state and territory, and nationally. Unlike separate state-based surveys, the national survey approach took account of each state’s residents’ fishing activities conducted interstate, making the results truly national. WHY NOW? Importantly, the 19992000 study developed a “robust methodology” that most states have adopted and used subsequently, to conduct their own surveys, largely focusing on catch, fishing effort and participation. Those studies have shown benefits to the health and wellbeing of fishers, and the benefits from economic activities in those regional areas where fishing occurs. However, most of those outlines of social and economic benefits came from small-scale studies. This left a substantial gap in “the national
seen real advances in the development and application of studies on the effects of recreational fishing in areas including physical and mental health, and the treatment and prevention of harm
response to the Black Summer bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. Referred to here as the NRFS, the full title implies that the focus is on “fishers” rather than fishing catches and effort.
FIG.1 ADULT RECREATIONAL FISHERS BY STATE/TERRITORY Estimated number of adult recreational fishers by State and Territory, 2018 (Source: NRFS 2023) State/territory Adult participation rate Victoria 16.4% NSW/ACT 19.6% SA 25.8% Tas 26.2% Qld 25.9% WA 25.8% NT 32.7% Other (eg, ‘migratory’) Australia 21.4%
Fig.2. Total fishing effort contributed by Australian fishers aged 18+ years who fished more and less, 2018-19. (Source NRFS 2023.) Launched in April 2019 and expected to run for one year, at a cost of $1.22 million, the “National Social and Economic Survey of Recreational Fishers, 2018-2021,” aimed to help build a better understanding of the demographics, attitudes and social and economic contribution of Australian recreational fishers.” The project was a collaboration largely funded by the FRDC, overseen by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, and implemented by the University of Canberra. Two unforeseen events overtook the study: the Black Summer fires and the COVID-19 epidemic. Among the consequences, the survey results for 2018 provided the most recent 12-month COVID-free picture of recreational fishers and fishing, comparable with previous surveys. And, with the opportunity to examine the effects of major disruptions to ‘normal’ fishing activities, an additional
and floods – and the COVID-19 epidemic, on fishing activity levels and behaviour. The 2018 pre-pandemic results provided for comparisons with those previously reported for 1999-2000.
contributions through engagement in fish habitat restoration programs. Conducted between 2018 and 2021, this study was able to examine the impacts of major climatic events – fires
NRFS OBJECTIVES The original objectives were to: 1. Assess social and economic contribution of recreational fishing using multiple methods, including direct and flow-on economic benefits, and market and non-market benefits. 2. Identify which approaches to recruiting survey participants and completing surveys produce the most representative and robust results 3. Recommend most appropriate and costeffective survey method to use to track change in social and economic aspects of recreational fishing in Australia over time. After the study began, the Black Summer bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic cut across the original plans. They also provided the opportunity to examine how such ‘events’ affect recreational fishing, hence, the fourth objective was added: 4. Identify how fishing activity changed in
Fisher number 840,900 1,293,700 361,300 115,000 1,015,700 529,400 60,800 1900 4,218,600 The summary and complete report, National Social and Economic Survey of Recreational Fishers, 2018-2021, can be found at www.frdc.com.au/ project/2018-161 This article briefly describes the extent and other features of Australians’ participation in recreational fishing. Part two of the story will outline the impacts of major bushfires and COVID19, switching between fishing and other activities, fishing’s economic contribution, health and wellbeing benefits, the ‘social licence’ of fishing, and fishers’ positive role in environmental stewardship. Those interested in the survey methods and data sources, and related technical details should refer to the full study report. PARTICIPATION Changes in annual participation Held in Melbourne this year, the 10th World Recreational Fishing Conference heard that
Fig.3. Participation in fishing, 1999-00 compared to 2018, by State and Territory (Source: NRFS 2023)
