COVID-19 restrictions and recreational fisheries in Ontario, Canada: Preliminary insights from an online angler survey

Exploring spatio-temporal changes in coastal recreational fisheries and potential links to extreme weather events

Extreme weather events across coastal environments are expected to increase in frequency under predicted climate change scenarios. These events can impact coastal recreational fisheries and their supporting ecosystems by influencing the productivity of fish stocks or altering behaviours and decision-making among fishers. Using off-site telephone/diary survey data on estuarine and oceanic recreational fishing activity in eastern Australia, we analyse interannual and geographic variability in bream (Acanthopagrus spp) and snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) catch, total effort and total catch per unit effort (CPUE) through a period (2013/2014, 2017/2018 and 2019/2020) that encompassed severe drought, bushfires and flooding. Interacting spatial and temporal differences were detected for bream and may reflect spatial variation in the intensity and extent of some of the extreme weather events. The catch of snapper did not change temporally, providing little evidence that this species' catch may be influenced by the extreme weather events. Independent bioregional and temporal effects on effort were detected, while CPUE only showed significant bioregional differences. Although adverse conditions created by the extreme weather events may have dissuaded fisher participation and impacted effort, we propose that the observed temporal patterns in effort reflect the early influence of socio-economic changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic on coastal recreational fishing, over and above the impacts of extreme weather events. This study demonstrates how interrelated ecological, social and economic factors can shape coastal recreational fisheries and facilitates development of management strategies to address future threats to the sector.

Home and wild food procurement were associated with improved food security during the COVID-19 pandemic in two rural US states

Both food insecurity and home and wild food procurement (HWFP), including gardening, increased in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic; yet little evidence has demonstrated what impact HWFP had on food security. Using data from a representative sample of nearly 1000 residents in the two most rural US states (Vermont and Maine) conducted via an online survey in Spring/Summer 2021, as well as matching techniques, we compare food security outcomes among households who did and did not participate in HWFP in the first year of the pandemic. Nearly 60% of respondents engaged in HWFP in some way during the first year of the pandemic, with food insecure households more likely to do HWFP. Furthermore, HWFP early in the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with improved food security in the 9-12 months later, though these improvements were primarily associated with newly, not chronically, food insecure households. Newly and chronically food insecure households were more likely to want to continue these activities in the future, but also exhibited greater barriers to land access and costs associated with these activities. These results suggest that HWFP may provide food security improvements for certain households that utilize them, especially during crisis situations. Future research about HWFP should continue to explore multiple HWFP strategies, their barriers, and their potentially myriad relationships to food security, diet, and health outcomes, especially with longitudinal data.

Wild and backyard food use during COVID-19 in upstate New York, United States

Introduction

COVID-19 acutely shocked both socio-economic and food systems in 2020. We investigated the impact of COVID-19 on production and consumption of gardened produce, backyard poultry, wild game and fish, and foraged mushrooms, berries, and other plants in New York State, aiming to understand crisis influenced food choice and motivations, including food security.

Methods

We conducted an online, cross-sectional survey in October-December 2020 with a convenience sample of participants (n = 505) with an interest in gardening, poultry rearing, foraging, hunting, and/or fishing from six counties in upstate New York. We recruited through the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and other relevant email and social media pages.

Results

Across the wild and backyard food production strategies, 4.0-14.3% of respondents reported engaging for the first time and 39.6-45.7% reported increased production (a little or a lot more), and 31.6-42.7% of respondents' production was the same as the previous year. Consumption of foods produced was widespread, including fruit and vegetables (97.6% of producers also consumed), backyard eggs (92.7%), and foraged foods (93.8%). For meats, a majority consumed backyard poultry meat (51.2%), wild-caught fish (69.7%), and wild game they hunted (80.1%). The frequency of consumption of fruit and vegetables (average of 13.5 times/month) and eggs (16.4 times/month) was very high, while average consumption of poultry meat, foraged foods, fish, and wild game ranged from 3.1 to 5.8 times/month. The number of respondents who reported "have more control over food availability" as motivation to produce all wild and backyard foods increased from 2019 to 2020 (p < 0.05 - p < 0.001). There was also a significant relationship between experiences of COVID-19 related hardship (i.e., food insecurity, income loss) with gardening and poultry-rearing (p ≤ 0.05), but not with other production methods or with consumption of wild and backyard foods.

Discussion

Our findings help to locate wild and backyard foods within COVID-19 impacted food environments, and describe food security as a particularly relevant motivation, among others, reported by respondents in 2020. Given this, New York State service providers can use these findings to tailor current future support for households exerting control over their own food environments with wild and backyard foods, allowing the state to be better prepared for future crises.

Low recruitment drives the decline of red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) along the southeast USA Atlantic coast: Inferences from fishery-independent trap and video monitoring

Red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) is a reef-associated, economically-important, winter-spawning, protogynous Sparidae species that appears to have declined in abundance in recent years along the southeast United States Atlantic coast. We used spatially-explicit generalized additive models built with fishery-independent chevron trap (1990-2021) and video data (2011-2021) to quantify the ways in which red porgy relative abundance and mean size varied across temporal, spatial, environmental, and habitat variables. Mean red porgy relative abundance from traps declined by 77% between 1992 and 2021, and declines were similarly large (69%) on video between 2011 and 2021. The largest two-year decline in relative abundance occurred early in the COVID-19 pandemic (2019-2021)- 32% in traps and 45% on video-despite already low abundance. Highest red porgy relative abundance from traps and video occurred in deep areas (i.e., 60-100 m) between southern North Carolina and north Georgia, and red porgy preferred low relief but continuous hardbottom habitats (i.e., pavement). We confirmed recent low recruitment of red porgy in the region based on the large increase in mean length (29%) and severe (~99%) declines of juvenile red porgy caught over the 32-year trap survey. Evidence suggests that recruitment failure is partially or mostly responsible for red porgy abundance declines, and, moreover, the regulation of harvest is unlikely to achieve sustainable management goals until recruitment increases.

High-resolution app data reveal sustained increases in recreational fishing effort in Europe during and after COVID-19 lockdowns

It is well recognized that COVID-19 lockdowns impacted human interactions with natural ecosystems. One example is recreational fishing, which, in developed countries, involves approximately 10% of people. Fishing licence sales and observations at angling locations suggest that recreational fishing effort increased substantially during lockdowns. However, the extent and duration of this increase remain largely unknown. We used four years (2018-2021) of high-resolution data from a personal fish-finder device to explore the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on angling effort in four European countries. We show that relative device use and angling effort increased 1.2-3.8-fold during March-May 2020 and generally remained elevated even at the end of 2021. Fishing during the first lockdown also became more frequent on weekdays. Statistical models explained 50-70% of the variation, suggesting that device use and angling effort were relatively consistent and predictable through space and time. Our study demonstrates that recreational fishing behaviour can change substantially and rapidly in response to societal shifts, with profound ecological, human well-being and economic implications. We also show the potential of angler devices and smartphone applications for high-resolution fishing effort analysis and encourage more extensive science and industry collaborations to take advantage of this information.

Natural environments, psychosocial health, and health behaviors in a crisis - A scoping review of the literature in the COVID-19 context

The COVID-19 outbreak led to major restrictions globally, affecting people's psychosocial health and their health behaviors. Thus, the purpose of this scoping review was to summarize the available research regarding nature and health in the COVID-19 context. Keywords relating to natural environments and COVID-19 were combined to conduct a systematic online search in six major databases. Eligibility criteria were a) published since 2020 with data collected in the COVID-19 context b) peer-reviewed, c) original empirical data collected on human participants, d) investigated the association between natural environments and psychosocial health or health behaviors, and e) English, German, or Scandinavian languages. Out of 9126 articles being screened, we identified 188 relevant articles, representing 187 distinct studies. Most research focused on adults in the general population and was predominantly conducted in the USA, Europe, and China. Overall, the findings indicate that nature may mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on psychological health and physical activity. Through a systematic thematic analysis of the extracted data, three primary themes were identified: 1) type of nature assessed, 2) psychosocial health and health behaviors investigated, and 3) heterogeneity in the nature-health relationship. Research gaps in the COVID-19 context were identified regarding I) nature characteristics that promote psychosocial health and health behaviors, II) investigations of digital and virtual nature, III) psychological constructs relating to mental health promotion, IV) health-promoting behaviors other than physical activity, V) underlying mechanisms regarding heterogeneity in the nature-health relationship based on human, nature, and geographic characteristics, and VI) research focusing on vulnerable groups. Overall, natural environments demonstrate considerable potential in buffering the impact of stressful events on a population level on mental health. However, future research is warranted to fill the mentioned research gaps and to examine the long-term effects of nature exposure during COVID-19.

Global responses to the COVID-19 pandemic by recreational anglers: considerations for developing more resilient and sustainable fisheries

The global COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many jurisdictions implementing orders restricting the movements of people to inhibit virus transmission, with recreational angling often either not permitted or access to fisheries and/or related infrastructure being prevented. Following the lifting of restrictions, initial angler surveys and licence sales suggested increased participation and effort, and altered angler demographics, but with evidence remaining limited. Here, we overcome this evidence gap by identifying temporal changes in angling interest, licence sales, and angling effort in world regions by comparing data in the 'pre-pandemic' (up to and including 2019); 'acute pandemic' (2020) and 'COVID-acclimated' (2021) periods. We then identified how changes can inform the development of more resilient and sustainable recreational fisheries. Interest in angling (measured here as angling-related internet search term volumes) increased substantially in all regions during 2020. Patterns in licence sales revealed marked increases in some countries during 2020 but not in others. Where licence sales increased, this was rarely sustained in 2021; where there were declines, these related to fewer tourist anglers due to movement restrictions. Data from most countries indicated a younger demographic of people who participated in angling in 2020, including in urban areas, but this was not sustained in 2021. These short-lived changes in recreational angling indicate efforts to retain younger anglers could increase overall participation levels, where efforts can target education in appropriate angling practices and create more urban angling opportunities. These efforts would then provide recreational fisheries with greater resilience to cope with future global crises, including facilitating the ability of people to access angling opportunities during periods of high societal stress.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11160-023-09784-5.

From backyards to the backcountry: Exploring outdoor recreation coping strategies and experiences during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand

This paper explores the impacts that the New Zealand government's lockdown measures to contain the COVID-19 virus during 2020 had on the activity and experiences of outdoor recreationists in New Zealand. Concepts related to coping strategies such as rationalisation, displacement and substitution, have been used frequently to explain the behavioural changes and processes involved in outdoor recreation when disruptions arise such as crowding and recreational conflict. However, such concepts have rarely been applied to rapid on-set disruptors such as pandemics. This paper adopts coping strategy theory to help document the strategies adopted by outdoor recreationists in response to the national lockdown in 2020. Based on a qualitative analysis of twenty interviews with outdoor recreationists in New Zealand, various coping mechanisms such as temporal, activity, and spatial displacement are identified. These include increased appreciation for outdoor settings, discovery of local activities and microadventures, and increased walking activity across the restricted, reaction and reset periods. Outdoor recreation coping strategies may contribute to increased resilience to disruptive and rapid on-set events and enhance understanding of how recreationists respond and adapt to disruption. This research presents a unique insight of coping strategies adopted in response to the national lockdown that may have implications for participation and management of outdoor recreation in New Zealand in the coming years. This paper also offers a new perspective on the behaviourist tradition in the field of outdoor recreation which may be fruitful for future research examining rapid on-set disruptions and crises.

La demande pour des espaces de nature en situation de pandémie

INTRODUCTION

The extent of the health benefits of contact with nature came to the fore during the health crisis. However, studies do not fully appreciate the effect of the type of natural environment to which individuals are exposed. The studies often use a very vague category of &#8220;green space&#8221; for the purpose.

PURPOSE OF RESEARCH

We apply social sciences analytical concepts to analyze demands for recreational uses of both forests and ocean beaches in a time of sanitary crisis. Our studies use data from two regional surveys applied to a representative sample of the Aquitaine population.

RESULTS

We underline the social inequalities with regard to access to forest and ocean beaches, even though outdoor recreation is free of charge most of the time. We also identify salient differences between uses, motivations, and risk perceptions in both of the natural settings. We discuss how such discrepancies are inherited from previously constructed social representations.

CONCLUSIONS

We believe that public health studies could benefit greatly from the achievements of several decades of research in the field of outdoor studies.

Perceptions of compliance in recreational fisheries: Case study of the Peel-Harvey blue swimmer crab fishery

Effective recreational fisheries management requires a balance between fisher enjoyment and compliance with regulations and fisher perceptions can be useful to understand whether the balance is right. Our study collected fisher insights via an online perceptions survey into compliance within the recreational shore-based Peel-Harvey blue swimmer crab fishery in Western Australia. Overwhelmingly, participants self-reported as complying with regulations; a positive finding for a licence-free fishery. Further, to enable increased quantity and size of available stock and thus overall enjoyment of the fishery, survey participants suggested longer fishery closure periods; harsher noncompliance penalties; more natural and physical surveillance; and greater educational signage in popular fishing areas. These insights challenge existing literature whereby tough regulations are often rejected by fishers and may lead to noncompliance. In a view to achieve a shared goal of a sustainable fishery, we explore survey perceptions against situational crime prevention to optimize compliance, embracing regulator-led ‘cooperative compliance’ outcomes. Our results are useful not only to this fishery but apply more broadly to other fisheries within and beyond Western Australia.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on a recreational rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fishery

There has been a recent flurry of publications describing the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on both commercial and recreational fisheries. As of yet, studies have only provided insights from researchers or industry experts detailing perceived consequences, or from survey data indicating modifications in angler activity levels and behaviours. Using real recreational fisheries data from an ongoing radio telemetry study (2018-present), we explored changes in the relative exploitation rates of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss; Walbaum 1792) in the Saugeen River, Ontario, a tributary to Lake Huron, before compared to during the pandemic. Restrictions on site access that affected the implementation of important management activities that usually support this popular fishery are also discussed. During the initial phase of complete public lock-downs imposed during spring 2020, angler exploitation rates decreased to half that reported prior to the pandemic. Fishway operations were temporarily suspended and hatchery efforts were interrupted. Once restrictions began to ease in fall 2020, there was an eight-fold increase in overall exploitation rate and a four and a half-fold increase in harvest rate compared to seasons prior to the pandemic. While the full impact of the ongoing pandemic on the Lake Huron fishery is not likely to be fully realized for several years, the potential effects on future return run sizes may need to be considered by fisheries managers monitoring trends in population escapement.

Preliminary assessment of the impact of Covid-19 Pandemic in the small-scale and recreational fisheries of the Canary Islands

Covid-19 pandemic has affected worldwide in many different ways. Fisheries around the world are not an exception due to the long-term isolation and the non-activities period suffered. To do an evaluation of its impact on the fishing sectors in the Canary Islands, 87 online and phone questionnaires were carried out between July and September 2020, conducting the interviews to artisanal fishermen, fishmongers, recreational charter boats fishermen and tackle shops along the archipelago. Both, the artisanal and recreational fishing sectors have been affected by this pandemic, but in an unequal manner. The drop of the demand of fresh fishing products in the islands markets due to the closure of hotels, restaurants and other services, and the highly significant decreasing in the number of tourists, provoked an estimated income loss for the artisanal fishermen about the 40% on average, but the majority of vessels continued their activities during the pandemic, with very limited effects on direct employment. However, the fishmonger's activity apparently was not affected and increased their monthly income in relation to the previous year. Likewise, the infeasibility of fishing charter companies due to the great reduction in the number of tourists contrasted with the significant increase in the number of recreational fishing licenses immediately after the confinement ended. Even though that fishing tackle shops increased sales by over 60% in relation to the similar period of the year before, only 4.4% of these shops declared not to have had economic losses.

Initial insights on the impact of COVID-19 on boat-based recreational fishing in Western Australia

The COVID-19 global pandemic and subsequent implementation of measures to reduce contact within the community have affected fisheries worldwide, yet few studies have reported the impacts on recreational fisheries. This study investigates boat-based recreational fishing in Western Australia from March to August 2020, where COVID-19 measures relevant to recreational fishers included various travel restrictions, and social and physical distancing measures. Information from surveys of licensed recreational fishers and fisheries compliance officers, and camera footage from key boat ramps is presented. A lower proportion of Perth metropolitan fishers went fishing compared with regional fishers. Metropolitan fishers also reported fewer days fished and lower participation in demersal and shore-based line fishing than regional fishers. In contrast, compliance officers observed more fishing activity in both metropolitan and regional locations. Fishing plans were mostly affected by travel restrictions with more metropolitan fishers affected compared with regional fishers. Daily recreational vessel retrievals at key boat ramps varied between locations, with metropolitan fishers initially unable to travel to regional centres. There was no decline in vessel retrievals at metropolitan boat ramps during the most rigid restrictions and northern regional boat ramps experienced substantial increases in recreational vessel activity once travel restrictions eased. Studies of this kind highlight the value of utilising established recreational fishing monitoring programmes to provide a responsive and scientific basis for policymakers to address societal behavioural changes associated with atypical events such as COVID-19.