Earlier this year, 197 participants took part in the Recreational Fishing Stewardship Survey conducted by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF).
Thank you to everyone who generously gave their time to participate. Your responses have helped build a better understanding of recreational fishers, the values that drive participation and how stewardship can be supported across Australia.
What we heard
The survey results highlight a strong stewardship mindset among South Australian recreational fishers.
Nearly 8 in 10 respondents demonstrated strong stewardship values, reflecting a belief that recreational fishers have an important role to play in caring for fisheries and aquatic environments.
A standout finding was that 57.9% of respondents were identified as “Committed Social Stewards”, well above the national average of 33.3%. This group cares deeply about the future of fishing and is often a positive influence within local fishing communities. They:
- Care deeply about healthy fisheries and aquatic environments
- Lead by example through responsible fishing practices
- Share knowledge and encourage good practices with others
- Want to contribute to positive outcomes for recreational fishing.
What this means for recreational fishing in South Australia
The results show that many recreational fishers are already contributing to the sustainability of the fisheries and aquatic environments they value. The opportunity now is to make it easier for fishers to get involved in stewardship activities and contribute even more.
Understanding what motivates fishers to get involved helps PIRSA design programs, research and communication activities that better support recreational fishing and encourage stewardship in South Australia.
The findings highlight that:
- Fishers are more likely to participate when opportunities are practical, straightforward and easy to access
- Stewardship goes beyond following rules. It includes sharing knowledge, participating in research, contributing to citizen science and promoting responsible fishing practices
- Recreational fishers provide valuable local knowledge that can help inform fisheries management and research
- Fishers often influence each other, making peer-to-peer encouragement an important way to promote responsible fishing behaviours
- Many fishers want to contribute more but are not always aware of opportunities to get involved
- Ongoing participation in surveys, monitoring programs and engagement activities helps build the knowledge needed to support sustainable recreational fishing in South Australia.
How you can get involved
PIRSA provides a number of ways for recreational fishers to contribute to stewardship and sustainable fisheries management, including:
- Using the SA Fishing app to access information and report relevant observations
- Using the SA Fishing app to voluntarily report catch and effort
- Participating in recreational fishing surveys
- Contributing to monitoring, research and citizen science programs when opportunities arise
- Sharing responsible fishing practices within your fishing community.
Together, these contributions help improve our understanding of recreational fisheries and support sustainable, evidence-based management into the future.
Learn more
The survey forms part of FRDC Project 2024-073: A National Study of Stewardship in Recreational Fishing. Visit FRDC website for more information and access to the full national study.