Just a good thing to have: Stakeholder support for a long-running marine stock enhancement program is based on broad criteria and only weakly contingent on biological outcomes

It is generally assumed that fishing stakeholders value fish stocking and stock enhancement programs primarily for their (demonstrated or assumed) contributions to increasing the abundance of catchable fish. We investigated how stakeholders in Southern California value the long-running OREHP (Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery Program) for White Seabass Atractoscion nobilis to which they are obligated to contribute financially through an Ocean Enhancement Validation (added to their annual fishing license). An online survey showed that Validation holders on average believed that OREHP was at least somewhat successful. When asked to rate the importance of different success criteria, respondents judged a broad range of criteria to be important. Of high importance were a variety of criteria related to research on both hatchery operations and the ecology of wild fish, fisheries and ocean management that support fisheries, and population enhancement (e.g., an increase in the White Seabass population). Criteria related to education and volunteer participation were also rated as important. Achieving population enhancement did not ‘make or break’ the program in their minds. There was strong and consistent support for broad ecology and conservation efforts associated with the OREHP. A majority of recreational respondents were willing to pay more for the Validation even if that did not result in a noticeable change in the White Seabass population or fishery. Successful population enhancement would add significantly to the perceived value of the OHREP, but a one-fish increase in the recreational bag limit resulting from it would not. Stakeholders value the OREHP for a broad range of reasons other than specific population or fishery enhancement outcomes which contribute only moderately to perceived value. Constructively considering such broad stakeholder values and success criteria is likely to benefit efforts to improve or reform fisheries enhancements, including the OREHP. • Fishing stakeholders took a multi-dimensional view of enhancement program success. • Population enhancement was viewed as only one of many important criteria and not singled out. • Fishing stakeholders viewed the OREHP as an ecological stewardship initiative rather than one that would provide a direct return to them.