Spearing into the future: a global review of marine recreational spearfishing

SBRAGAGLIA, VALERIO; ARLINGHAUS, ROBERT; BLUMSTEIN, DAN T.; COLL, MARTA; DIOGO, HUGO; GIGLIO, VINICIUS J.; GORDOA, ANA; JANUCHOWSKY-HARTLEY, FRASER A.; LAPORTA, MARTIN; LINDFIELD, STEVEN J.; LLORET, JOSEP; MANN, BRUCE; MCPHEE, DARYL; ANCHIETA C.C. NUNES, JOSÉ; PITA, PABLO; RANGEL, MAFALDA; RHOADES, OLIVIA KENNEDY; VENERUS, LEONARDO A.; VILLASANTE, SEBASTIÁN

Conferencia; 9th World Recreational Fishing Conference Online; 2021

Sportvisserij Nederland

La presentacion esta disponible en: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maIida8KhmU. Spearfishing is practiced by a small fraction of recreational fishers and has received considerably less scientific attention than angling. This knowledge gap will negatively affect the development of sustainable marine recreational fisheries. This special session aims to fill this gap by presenting the results of the first global review of marine recreational spearfishing. We first conducted a systematic review of papers published on marine spearfishing (both recreational and otherwise) to characterize the global research effort and the main research topics. The results indicated an increasing trend in the number of studies related to marine recreational spearfishing, with the majority exclusively focused on ecological impacts of spearfishing. Second, we developed an integrative review focusing on ecological, social, and economic dimensions. This provided a compilation of the most relevant ecological impacts and possible strategies to minimize them and foster a sustainable marine recreational spearfishing. At the same time, we summarized how marine recreational spearfishing may generate relevant socio-psychological benefits and contribute to human well-being by fostering a deep connection with the marine environment. We also shown a growing research interest in assessing the economic contribution of marine recreational spearfishing. Additionally, we show that recreational spearfishers represent a widespread network of underwater observers whose extensive knowledge can help identify and track change in marine ecosystems. We highlighted key points to consider when conducting multi- and interdisciplinary research in marine recreational spearfishing.