When Birds Meet Recreational Fishers: Understanding Interactions in a Protected Coastal Area of Argentina

ABSTRACT The interaction between recreational fishers and birds has historically received little attention. The Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon (Argentina) is a site recognised under multiple conservation frameworks in which the spatial overlap between recreational fishing and birds may lead to interactions with potential ecological consequences. This study aims to address the following questions: (1) What is the spatio‐temporal overlap between birds and recreational fishers? (2) Which bird species interact with fishers, and how frequently? (3) How do fishers and birds interact? and (4) What factors trigger these interactions? To answer these, 556 scans samplings and 200 behavioural observations of birds associated with fishers were conducted. A total of 1652 fishers (22 ± 17 fishers/day), 1925 fishing rods (25 ± 19 rods/day) and 14,152 birds (186 ± 340 birds/day) from 26 species were recorded sharing the same space. In the behavioural observations, a total of 515 associated birds were observed (5.15 ± 6.80 birds/h) corresponding to six species. A total of 1163 non‐contact interactions were recorded (11.64 ± 14.80 NCI/h) mostly flying (93%). On the other hand, 143 contact interactions were observed (1.43 ± 4.60 CI/h), of which 90% were bait stealing. Both types of interactions were affected by season, site, number of fishers and number of baits offers. This study is the first to describe the nature of the fishers‐bird interactions, quantify their frequency and identify the behavioural triggers involved. This study provides valuable information that can inform awareness‐raising strategies aimed at fishers and other coastal users.