Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference 2016

AUTHORS: Erin Burkett*, Michigan Technological University; Richelle Winkler, Michigan Technological University

ABSTRACT: Recreational anglers influence the biology of the fish they target, the ecology of the systems they fish on, and the economies they interact with. Angler participation rates directly affect license sales, which in turn provides critical funding for state-level fisheries management. Angler participation rates throughout the United States, including Wisconsin, have generally declined over the past 15 years; however, little is known about the social and demographic factors that drive participation in recreational fishing. There is a need to better understand social drivers of angler participation to provide more accurate projections of future angler recruitment and retention. Age-Period-Cohort (APC) analysis is a demographic research method that allows examination of the impacts of angler age, time period, and angler birth cohort individually. This analysis can be useful for management because each of these social factors could influence future fishing participation, management, and policy goals in distinct but important ways. We used this APC analysis approach to examine license sales and census population data from Wisconsin for years 2000-2013 and determine how age, period, and/or birth cohort influenced Wisconsin residents’ likelihood to fish. Initial findings show that age effects were important for both male and female anglers. Male anglers were more likely to fish from ages 24-46 and ages 64-68, whereas females were more likely to fish from ages 22-48. Cohort analysis revealed that males born between 1955 and 1968 were more likely to fish than other birth cohorts. Female cohort effects were similar with the addition of post-1990 birth cohorts increasing in their likelihood to fish. Understanding the demographic drivers of angler participation will help managers understand social factors that influence angler participation and potentially adjust or create more targeted marketing strategies.