Shark Depredation: How Does It Affect Recreational Fishing Experience in the US?

While the sharks frequently horrify those who opt to go to the beach for a surf session or swim, they frequently annoy fishing guides and recreational anglers.

Forbes reported that shark depredation--- complete or "partial removal of a hooked fish by a shark before it is landed" is being more and more written in many nations all over the world, including the United States.

Most studies on the human perception of sharks do not concentrate on stakeholder groups' specific groups, like those whose livelihoods rely on the fish they catch or don't catch instead, and that's because of the sharks.

Researchers of the new study led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst Ph.D. student Grace Casselberry said depredation is not distinctive to recreational fisheries, as commercial fisheries are reporting this as an issue, as well, yet how this affects these groups stays largely unstudied and unidentified, despite "anecdotal evidence" that such occurrences may powerfully form angling behavior. Together with her team, Casselberry set out to investigate the impact sharks have on the recreational fishing experience in the US.

Impact of Depredation Between Fish Guides and Anglers

The study published in Fisheries Research aimed to reach North American anglers over 18 years who had fished in saltwater and possibly interacted with sharks.

Casselberry decided to take advantage of the Shark Week hype of the Discovery Channel and launched the study in July 2019, allowing it to run until the end of January 2020.

A surprising finding showed the difference in emotions and perceptions of depredation between fishing guides and anglers.

The researchers explained they were able to exhibit that the emotional response of an angler to depredation directly affected their behavioral decisions.

In addition, for both anglers and guides, a stronger adverse emotional reaction translated to a greater possibility of targeting and harvesting sharks "recreationally in the future," said Casselberry.

Effect on Fisheries

The Ph.D. student also said a stronger positive emotional response enhanced the probability of changes to shield the target species, likely moving to fish in a different site, beginning to fish for a different species, or preventing fishing that day.

Meanwhile, those who experienced depredation regularly were primarily concerned about the humanity of their target species; they were more likely to have an adverse reaction as well to depredation, which then makes them less possible to take actions to directly protect their target species and more possible to aim sharks in retaliation.

In general, both guides and anglers had negative reactions to depredation, although the guides were found to have a stronger adverse reaction, a similar Science Metro report said.

Casselberry believes that part of this was because the guides went through depredation much more often than anglers did as they are more regularly on the water than anglers.

Part of this, Casselberry believes, was because the guides experienced depredation much more frequently than anglers did as they are on the water more regularly than anglers.

Another factor that influences the emotional response, she added, is that the livelihood of a guide is tied to their fishery's health and client satisfaction. If depredation occurs frequently and their clients are upset because of it, that can impact their business; the study authors pointed out.

Related information about depredation by whales is shown on Gonzalo Mucientes' YouTube video below:

Check out more news and information on Sharks in Science Times.