The underrated fisherman

Scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries present a pioneering study on amateur fishermen

The importance of hobby fishing has so far been enormously underestimated. Recreational anglers living in Germany get seven to ten times more fish from the waters than all commercial lake and river anglers in this country. This is what Dr. Robert Arlinghaus as part of his doctorate at the Humboldt University in Berlin, which he completed at the Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in Berlin. The scientist puts the total economic benefit of non-commercial angling in Germany at 6,4 billion euros annually. Robert Arlinghaus will present his work at a press conference of the German Angler Association (DAV) on Wednesday, March 24th in Berlin.

Arlinghaus has broken new ground with his studies. For the first time he systematically investigated the importance of hobby fishing. In doing so, he not only focused on the economic benefit, but also ecological and sociological aspects. According to experts, his work has a pioneering character in Germany and is unparalleled in all of Central Europe. So far, the EU has hardly taken fishing into account in its common fisheries policy.

A nationwide survey of organized and non-organized hobby fishermen by Robert Arlinghaus revealed that in 2002 around 3,3 million people fished for pleasure at least once. According to previous estimates, the number was around 1,5 million. Around 52.000 jobs depend on non-commercial angling - more than twice as many as previously estimated (20.000). In total, hobby fishermen took almost 2002 tons of fish in 45.000
Fresh or salt water, that's around 13 kilos of fish per angler and year. In contrast, there are 4.000 to 7.000 tons of fish from commercial lake and river fishing.
 
In addition to the social and economic benefits, many anglers volunteer to protect the rivers and lakes. This benefit is intended by the legislature; the fishing laws of the federal states as well as the animal protection law in Germany are among the strictest in the world. According to the fishing laws, the so-called fishermen's rights (e.g. anglers' associations as water tenants) are not only allowed to use the waters, but also have to cherish and care for them, i.e. manage them - a situation that is unparalleled in sea fishing. Many scientists believe that proper management of fish stocks is only possible if exploitation and management obligations are coupled.

However, the anglers can also cause damage. So are the introduction of non-native or artificially reared fish
("Fishing") and the preferential angling of certain coveted species, known in technical jargon as selective fishing pressure, pose serious threats to aquatic ecosystems.

In the past, it was precisely the contrasts between water management and the negative impact on ecosystems that often led to controversial debates between anglers and conservationists. Robert Arlinghaus hopes to objectify the discussion with his studies. He sees a very high potential for environmentally friendly management in German angling. "Until now, the actual conditions in Germany and Central Europe could hardly be assessed objectively due to the lack of data. We are now one step further, but more in-depth studies are absolutely necessary," says Arlinghaus. With his research work, new insights into modern fisheries management have now been gained, which concern less the fish than the characteristics, behavior and expectations of the anglers.

From the dissertation of Dr. Robert Arlinghaus has produced a wide range of internationally acclaimed original publications on, among other things, understanding angler behavior, assessing differences between angler groups and minimizing conflicts surrounding fisheries management. The work of the IGB scientist also revealed one thing: Fishing in Germany is a male domain. 94 out of 100 hobby fishermen are male. The reason for this has not yet been explored.

Source: Berlin [Thomas Pröller]