Drivers of Recreational Angler Satisfaction in Port Phillip Bay, Australia

ABSTRACT As a widely enjoyed pursuit, recreational fishing plays a key socio‐economic role in Australia by supporting coastal businesses, especially in regional areas. Satisfaction is considered an end outcome of angling that is important in fisheries management by contributing to ongoing participation and regulatory strategies. Port Phillip Bay (PPB) in Victoria, Australia, hosts the State's largest marine recreational fishery, yet angler satisfaction has not been previously explored. We evaluated the influence of age groups, regions (5 boat ramps in Melbourne, 7 in Bellarine, and 8 in Mornington), key target species (snapper, King George whiting, calamari, and flathead), and catch rate on spatiotemporal patterns in long‐term satisfaction from creel surveys conducted around PPB during 2016–2022. Angler satisfaction varied with catch per unit of effort (CPUE) and angler avidity. Satisfaction varied annually and regionally, with higher satisfaction among younger anglers, especially in the Bellarine region along the western coastline of PPB. Angler satisfaction also varied among target species, with anglers targeting calamari being generally more satisfied, although satisfaction increased for snapper when interacted with CPUE. Insights into angler behavior and key factors that influence angling satisfaction will ultimately provide a basis for formulating performance indicators to monitor and assess future angler satisfaction. More broadly, our study also provides guidance about how management interventions will impact angler satisfaction, therefore making it more likely that needs and concerns of recreational fishers are considered in decision making processes.