Importance of Fish Consumption to Sport Fishermen

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Abstract
Retention and consumption of fish by sport fishermen are generally reported in the scientific literature to be less important than the recreational experience. On this basis, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission prohibited for 120 days the retention of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) and spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) in a small bay after a massive coastwide fish kill in 1984. Simultaneously, the bag, possession, and size limits for these species were made more restrictive in all other Texas bays on the Gulf of Mexico. An attempt to adopt the rule prohibiting retention on a permanent basis was adamantly opposed by fishermen for the affected bay. This response was unexpected. Either the generalization that keeping fish is not very important is incorrect, or the fishermen's reaction is a localized phenomenon and within the expected variation of the published generalizations. This study examines five possible explanations for the generalization being incorrect. Inadequacies in data gatheri...

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