New paper analyze recreational angler movement between lakes and risk to invasive species transmission

With hundreds of millions of people participating in fishing trips each year, understanding angler movements that transmit invasive species can provide critical insight into the most effective locations and scales at which to apply preventative measures. Recent evidence suggests that mobile technologies provide new opportunities to understand different types of angler movement behaviour beyond what is possible with infrequently and sparsely conducted in-person boat surveys and mail questionnaires. The study capitalise on data provided by ReelSonar’s iBobber, a sonar-enabled bobber with over 5 M recorded fishing locations, globally. Quantifying geographic patterns of fishing activities and assessing how these patterns change seasonally, the study explores angler behaviour across the entire continental United States in terms of fishing frequency and distance travelled between sites and characterise the attributes of fished ecosystems. 

The study offers novel insight into spatiotemporal patterns of angler behavior well beyond the geographical and temporal extent of conventional ground-collected approached and carries important implications for predicting and preventing future transmission of aquatic invasive species via recreational fishing. Read more about the study here.

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