An Assessment of Spearfishing Catches along the Eastern Adriatic Coast

Abstract

The impact of recreational fishing on fish stocks was neglected for many years as it was considered minor and insignificant. Despite the increasing assessment of the impact of recreational fishing, little effort is made to effectively and systematically collect catch and effort data from recreational fishing and integrate them into official fishery statistics. The aim of this study is to provide the first empirical investigation to quantify the impact of spearfishing on coastal fish communities in the eastern Adriatic. In Croatia, continuous monitoring of spearfishing competitions started in 2005, but, in 2012, the rules for the competitions were changed, and the species and quantities per species were restricted. For the purpose of this analysis, only data collected during the seven-year period from 2005 to 2011 were used, which included a total of 46 competitions in which spearfishers fished without any limitations, as later data were not comparable. These data can provide a robust estimation of the impact of spearfishing on coastal communities. Instead of a general approach, future studies should adopt a species-specific approach. Compared to the results on the impacts of other fishing methods, the obtained results are useful for researchers, managers, and also policy makers to sustainably manage coastal ecosystems and the associated ecosystems services.