Oregon recreational fishers’ knowledge, support, and perceived impacts of marine reserves

Marine reserves (MRs) are increasingly used as a tool for conservation and management. However, few studies have investigated the potential impacts of MRs on the recreational fishing community, despite this community's importance to coastal economies. In addition, marine reserves knowledge and support are crucial to compliance to regulations and reserve success, yet there is limited related research. To address these gaps, we conducted an online survey of Oregon, USA, recreational anglers (N = 7638). Opposition to Oregon's MRs was quite low (9.9%), but was significantly higher among avid saltwater fishers, those who consider angling central to their lifestyle, and respondents whose fishing behavior had been impacted by MR establishment. Over half of the respondents (57.6%) were aware of Oregon's MRs, and those respondents were asked additional questions regarding MR knowledge and perceived impact. In general, MR name recognition and spatial knowledge were low. However, knowledge scores were significantly higher among respondents who were members of a sportfishing organization and respondents who fished off the central Oregon coast, where three of Oregon's five MRs are located. Of note, respondents who fished off the central Oregon coast were not more likely to shift their fishing effort because of MR implementation, despite the high concentration of reserves in that area. Of those aware of the MRs, only 11.8% (n = 509) indicated they had changed their angling behavior due to MR establishment. Most of these respondents indicated that they found substitute marine fishing grounds. Avid saltwater fishers and those who consider angling to be more important to their lifestyle were significantly more likely to indicate that their angling behavior was impacted by MR establishment. These avid specialized fishers may have a stronger preference for specific angling locations, which could have been affected by area closures. This study found that impacts of MR implementation on the Oregon recreational fishing community have been minimal in aggregate. The lack of MR opposition suggests that fishers would likely comply with MR regulations, though the lack of knowledge suggests a need for increased communication efforts to ensure compliance is attainable.