Tools for assessing recreational fisheries compliance—an underappreciated yet essential component of management

Abstract Despite extensive research on the importance and impacts of recreational fisheries, there is a shortage of information on regulatory compliance in the sector. While recreational fishing has economic and social benefits, the risks to ecosystem health and resource sharing are exacerbated by non-compliance with regulations. This manuscript explores the methodologies employed for assessing non-compliance in recreational fisheries and provide recommendations on best practices for understanding non-compliance. Using EBSCOhost database searches with keywords pertaining to recreational fisheries compliance, a total of 558 studies were reviewed. Of these, only 49 studies specifically examined compliance in recreational fisheries. A broad range of methods have been used to assess compliance, including surveys, observations, law enforcement records analysis, netnography, self-reporting, modelling, and forensic investigations. Of these methods, compliance surveys, although costly, are suitable for estimating various facets of non-compliance and provide the most detailed data. While other methods, such as law enforcement records, netnography and indirect observation, are more cost-effective, they are limited to detecting the presence of some types of non-compliance and should be used initially to determine if non-compliance may exist in a fishery. Understanding the dynamics of compliance is essential for formulating effective management strategies, which aim to mitigate the adverse impacts of recreational fishing on ecosystems while maximising its socio-economic advantages. It is advisable for individuals interested in comprehending compliance within a specific recreational fishery first to employ methodologies capable of ascertaining the existence of non-compliance. Subsequently, they should implement methods to gather more detailed information on compliance, including the extent and underlying factors contributing to non-compliance, through surveys utilising indirect questioning techniques. Ultimately, this study advocates for enhanced efforts from researchers in recreational fisheries to assess non-compliance, as it poses a significant threat to the sustainability of the fishery.