Seminar Series: Using App Data to Investigate the Global Distribution of Marine Recreational Fishing

Marine recreational fishing has widespread social, economic, and ecological impacts, yet remains difficult to map and quantify. Our study used catch data from a popular smartphone fishing app that comprised >1 million catches recorded in 184 countries from 2011–2023. Focusing on 79 relatively well-represented countries, we found that ~50% of catches were bottom-associated species, ~30% reef-associated, and ~10% pelagic. Of the pelagic catch, 42,600 (40%) of catches were high-value species such as billfishes, tunas, mackerels, and mahi-mahi – many caught by tourists. High-value pelagics accounted for 35–55% of catches in several tropical countries, but only 1–10% in others, with tourist fishing generally higher in small tropical/subtropical countries and lower in large temperate countries, regardless of economic status. High-resolution maps identified recreational fishing hotspots that could inform coastal and marine spatial planning and valuation. The presentation also discusses caveats, validation needs, and opportunities to further develop this approach for quantifying and valuing marine recreational fishing.