An Assessment of Catches of Shore and Boat Recreational Angling along the Coast of the Adriatic Sea

Recreational fisheries involve millions of people globally, thus there is a growing recognition of the immense economic, sociocultural and ecological importance of recreational fishing as a significant component of global capture fisheries. However, recreational fishing is still not as controlled nor as well investigated as commercial fishing. Although the difference between commercial and recreational fisheries may be obvious, the definition of recreational fishing is not uniform, and the issue becomes more difficult in the case of sport fishing. The clear distinction between sport and recreational fisheries is vague, in particular due to a lack of definition of what constitutes a “recreational” or “sport” fishery. In this study, sport fisheries is considered as the competition-oriented subcategory of recreational fisheries, involving a subset of recreational fishers that participate in fishing competitions. Obtained results from the Adriatic Sea showed differences between shore and boat angling in terms of the species caught and the CPUE, while a comparison of the results from competition and out-of-competition boat angling revealed different tactics and targets of the recreational fishers, which are more efficient than sport fishers. Thus, there is an urgent need for all-inclusive management in the Mediterranean region, particularly because of the social and economic conflicts that may arise and intensify with the decline of the accessible fish resources.