“Reel Women” and “Secret Women’s Business”: women’s recreational fishing in the Top End of the Northern Territory, Australia

Abstract The economic, social, health and wellbeing benefits of recreational fishing are increasingly recognised in the scholarship on the sector, but the male-dominated nature of the sport globally means that the gendered nature of these benefits is poorly understood by researchers, fisheries managers, and recreational fishing businesses and organisations. Therefore, there is a risk that such benefits are not equitably shared, and the experiences of women and gender diverse anglers are overlooked. However, the case of the Northern Territory of Australia provides a rare example where the participation rates of women and men in recreational fishing are equal, according to a recent National Social and Economic Survey of Recreational Fishers. Using a feminist qualitative approach, this study explores women’s experiences of recreational fishing in the Top End region of the Northern Territory, the barriers and enablers of their participation, the role of women’s fishing competitions and the private sector, and the vision that women anglers have for the sector. The findings highlight the inclusive nature of recreational fishing in the Top End, but also identify remaining barriers and opportunities to understand the diversity of the fishing community better and develop a more sustainable and equitable recreational fishing sector in the future. This study contributes to a growing discourse about the social, cultural and wellbeing aspects of recreational fishing, as well as to the increasing recognition of women’s contribution to fisheries in Australia and elsewhere, and advocates for greater consideration of fisher diversity in recreational fishing organisations, media, businesses, and management.