Initial Attempts to Actively Manage Recreational Fishery Harvest in Minnesota

Abstract

The theories and management style of commercial fisheries management have recently been applied to recreational fisheries. Several Minnesota recreational fisheries are now managed with target harvest levels based on sustainable yield predictors or quotas based on constant fishing mortality rate strategies. Creel limits and length-based regulations are being used to meet established targets or quotas. Three case histories are described. Both benefits and shortcomings have resulted from applying commercial fisheries management programs directly to recreational fisheries. However, recreational fisheries managers may not be controlling total fish harvest. To effectively manage recreational fisheries for “safe satisfaction returns,” fisheries managers may need to adopt conservative, robust harvest regulations, kill quotas, or aggressive regulations on how people fish. The distribution and mix of those options can be determined by good social science, but the efficacy of managing for safe satisfaction returns will depend on good fisheries data (biological and sociological) and great social skill. The lessons learned from the three case histories reviewed could be used to improve recreational fisheries management.