Stewardship is becoming an increasingly important concept within the Australian recreational fishing sector, with growing recognition of the role that recreational fishers can play in environmental conservation, habitat restoration, and sustainable fisheries management. Despite this, a nationally unified vision for stewardship in recreational fishing does not yet exist, and there is limited understanding of the factors that drive or inhibit stewardship behaviours among fishers.

Relevance to FRDC’s R&D Plan 2024–2029

This project aligns directly with the FRDC RecFishing Research and Development & Extension (RD&E) Plan 2024–2029, particularly the Stewardship Pathway. The plan highlights the importance of fostering stewardship among recreational fishers, recognising them as trusted custodians of fisheries resources and their environments. It emphasises the need to develop and support collaborative conservation efforts, habitat restoration initiatives, and fisher-driven environmental programs—all of which are core focus areas of this proposed study.

Furthermore, the FRDC plan identifies six key research pathways critical to the future of recreational fishing in Australia, with this project directly contributing to:
- Pathway 4: Stewardship – Supporting the recognition of recreational fishers as environmental custodians by enhancing engagement, participation, and awareness.
- Pathway 1: Thriving Fisheries – Providing evidence-based insights to improve fisheries sustainability through fisher-driven conservation actions.
- Pathway 5: Capacity Building – Strengthening governance, leadership, and capability within the sector to support long-term stewardship initiatives.

Additionally, the RecFishing Research Coordination Program underscores the importance of nationally consistent data collection and research to inform future management and engagement strategies. This study will provide foundational benchmark data, essential for tracking trends in recreational fisher stewardship over time and shaping future RD&E investments.

By aligning with these national research priorities, this project will deliver practical, actionable insights that support both FRDC’s strategic objectives and broader policy initiatives aimed at fostering sustainable and responsible recreational fishing practices.
(Source: FRDC RecFishing Research and Development & Extension Plan 2024–2029, Pathway 4: Stewardship, p. 11)

Scope Clarification: Commercial and Indigenous Fishing

This study focuses on recreational fishing stewardship and does not extend to commercial fisheries or traditional Indigenous fishing practices. However, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recreational fishers will be included in the broader study sample and identified through demographic analysis. This approach ensures the study acknowledges diverse perspectives while maintaining a clear focus on recreational fishing.

Practical insights from OzFish (Cassie Price, personal communication, 2025)

As highlighted in the Opportunity section, recent discussions with OzFish, a key and influential stakeholder actively involved in recreational fishing stewardship, emphasise critical points for consideration in this study. Notably, OzFish highlights the importance of enabling fishers to self-rate their stewardship knowledge, acknowledging that many recreational fishers engage in stewardship activities unconsciously. For example, fishers frequently practice responsible actions such as litter collection or catch-and-release fishing without explicitly identifying these actions as stewardship. Understanding how fishers conceptualise their actions as stewardship—or fail to recognise them—can inform targeted communication strategies to reinforce and broaden stewardship behaviours across the recreational fishing community.

OzFish is also interested in how fishers seek and engage with stewardship opportunities, including their motivations and information sources. These insights will inform the design of effective engagement programs.

OzFish also identified exemplary international organisations that successfully engage recreational fishers in stewardship, such as Trout Unlimited (USA), Bonefish and Tarpon Trust (USA), Angling Trust (UK), and Fish Legal (UK). These organisations potentially offer useful case studies for developing a similarly effective framework in Australia.

Insights from the National Social and Economic Survey (NRFS): Stewardship among Recreational Fishers

Recent findings from the National Social and Economic Survey of Recreational Fishers (NRFS, 2023) highlight significant insights into recreational fishers’ engagement with stewardship in Australia. The survey found that recreational fishers typically exhibit high confidence in their ability to fish responsibly, engage in teaching responsible fishing practices, and are broadly supportive of contributing to environmental sustainability through stewardship actions.

Key stewardship activities identified included:
- Responsible Fishing Practices: Most recreational fishers demonstrated strong awareness and confidence in responsible fishing, including catch-and-release and sustainable gear usage.
- Environmental Stewardship: A substantial proportion reported involvement in activities aimed at improving aquatic ecosystem health, including habitat restoration and reporting environmental issues.
- Citizen Science Contributions: Many recreational fishers actively participated in data collection and scientific research, indicating a strong potential for broader involvement in stewardship programs if properly encouraged and facilitated.

The NRFS also identified barriers to stewardship adoption, notably time constraints, uncertainty about the effectiveness of individual actions, and limited awareness of existing programs. Despite these barriers, there is a clear willingness among recreational fishers to increase their involvement in stewardship, particularly when provided with clear, accessible opportunities for participation and education.
(Source: Moore et al., 2023, National Social and Economic Survey of Recreational Fishers 2018–2021, Chapter 11 – Recreational fishing and environmental stewardship, FRDC Project No 2018-161)

Insights from Copeland et al. (2017): Motivations for Fish Habitat Stewardship

Research by Copeland et al. (2017) provides further important insights relevant to this proposal, identifying key motivations and barriers influencing recreational fishers’ engagement in habitat stewardship. The study found that fishers are predominantly motivated by a sense of social responsibility and a desire to contribute positively to the fisheries they enjoy, rather than purely enhancing their fishing success. Fishers were most likely to participate in straightforward stewardship activities, such as litter collection or reporting issues, while fewer engaged in complex activities like habitat restoration due to constraints such as time, lack of resources, and uncertainty regarding engagement opportunities. Importantly, the study revealed that fishers connected to clubs or associations were significantly more likely to engage in stewardship activities, highlighting the critical role of social networks and structured pathways in facilitating stewardship behaviours. These insights underscore the need for clear, accessible stewardship opportunities, targeted communication strategies, and strengthened support networks—each of which this proposal explicitly seeks to address.
(Source: Copeland et al., 2017, Motivations of recreational fishers involved in fish habitat management, Fisheries Management and Ecology, 24, 82–92.)

These insights are directly aligned with the objectives outlined in this proposal, reinforcing the need for a unified national vision for stewardship. Leveraging these findings, this project will further examine motivators and barriers in greater depth, develop targeted communication strategies, and establish robust metrics to evaluate stewardship success.

The research will provide a comprehensive assessment of stewardship attitudes and behaviours among Australian recreational fishers, synthesise existing knowledge, and identify the key motivators and barriers influencing stewardship participation. Through a combination of literature review, qualitative research (stakeholder interviews and focus groups), and a national survey, it is proposed that the project will:
- Define and quantify stewardship behaviours within the Australian recreational fishing community.
- Identify key motivators and barriers to stewardship adoption.
- Develop a segmentation model to classify recreational fishers based on their engagement with stewardship.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of current stewardship programs and initiatives.
- Develop practical recommendations for fisheries management agencies, advocacy groups, and policymakers to enhance stewardship engagement.
- Provide a roadmap and communication strategy to drive greater adoption of stewardship practices across different fisher demographics and jurisdictions.

The research findings will be used to develop a nationally recognised framework for stewardship, ensuring alignment with the Stewardship Pathway of the Recfishing Research Strategy. This project will deliver practical insights that can be used by the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF), OzFish, state/territory recreational peak bodies, and fisheries management agencies to implement targeted stewardship initiatives.

By creating a clear and actionable strategy for stewardship in recreational fishing, this study will enable fishers, industry stakeholders, and fisheries managers to work together towards more sustainable and responsible fishing practices, ultimately contributing to the health and resilience of Australia’s aquatic ecosystems.

By synthesising national and international best practices, this study will provide the first evidence-based segmentation model of recreational fisher stewardship, establishing a benchmark for future research and policy development.

Contribution to New Knowledge

This project will generate new and nationally significant knowledge on stewardship in recreational fishing by developing the first comprehensive segmentation model of recreational fisher stewardship behaviours in Australia. Unlike previous studies that have examined stewardship in general terms, this research will provide a structured, evidence-based framework to categorise fishers based on their engagement levels, motivations, and barriers to participation.

Key contributions to new knowledge include:
- Establishing Benchmark Data: This study will provide the first national baseline dataset for measuring changes in fisher stewardship attitudes and behaviours over time, enabling future longitudinal research and evaluation.
- Understanding ‘Unconscious Stewardship’: Many fishers engage in stewardship activities without recognising them as such. This study will quantify these behaviours and assess how self-perception influences participation in conservation efforts.
- Identifying Effective Engagement Strategies: By integrating survey insights with stakeholder consultations and international best practices, the study will identify the most effective communication, education, and policy interventions to enhance fisher-led stewardship.
- Informing Future Research & Policy: The segmentation model and benchmark data will directly inform future FRDC-funded projects, state-based stewardship programs, and policy development at the national level.

This research will fill a critical gap in understanding recreational fisher stewardship, providing a practical and scalable framework that can be applied by fisheries managers, industry organisations, and conservation groups to enhance engagement, education, and participation in stewardship activities.
(Source: FRDC RecFishing Research and Development & Extension Plan 2024–2029, Pathway 4: Stewardship, p. 11; Pathway 5: Capacity Building, p. 12)

Consequence of Not Undertaking the Research

Without this research, Australia risks missing a critical opportunity to unify and enhance recreational fisher stewardship. Stewardship efforts will potentially remain fragmented, and without a national strategy, participation in conservation initiatives may stagnate or decline. Despite growing recognition of the role that recreational fishers can play in sustainability and conservation, the absence of nationally consistent data, structured engagement frameworks, and tailored communication strategies means that stewardship initiatives may remain ad hoc and underutilised.

Key consequences of not undertaking this research include:
- Lack of Benchmark Data for Tracking Stewardship Trends
* Currently, there is no national baseline dataset for monitoring how fisher engagement in stewardship evolves over time. Without this data, fisheries agencies and industry groups will be unable to measure progress or assess the effectiveness of stewardship programs.
- Missed Opportunities to Engage Recreational Fishers in Conservation
* Many recreational fishers already engage in stewardship activities without recognising them as such. If this research is not conducted, there will be no clear strategy to reinforce and expand these behaviours, leading to lower participation in conservation and habitat restoration efforts.
- Ineffective Communication & Policy Strategies
* Without a robust segmentation model, engagement efforts will continue to be generic rather than tailored to specific fisher profiles, reducing their effectiveness. Policymakers and advocacy groups will lack the necessary insights to design initiatives that resonate with different fishing demographics.
- Reduced Industry and Policy Adoption of Stewardship Principles
* Stewardship is recognised as a key pathway in the FRDC RecFishing Research Strategy 2024–2029, yet without this research, policymakers, fisheries managers, and industry bodies will lack the evidence base needed to formally integrate stewardship principles into management frameworks.

By delivering new knowledge, national benchmark data, and targeted engagement strategies, this study will ensure that recreational fishers are actively included as partners in conservation and fisheries sustainability efforts. Without it, stewardship in Australia will potentially remain underdeveloped, limiting its potential to contribute to long-term resource sustainability and ecosystem resilience.
(Source: FRDC RecFishing Research and Development & Extension Plan 2024–2029, Pathway 4: Stewardship, p. 11; Pathway 5: Capacity Building, p. 12

Project Aims

This project aims to develop a robust evidence base to inform the future of stewardship in Australian recreational fishing. The research will provide a comprehensive assessment of stewardship attitudes and behaviours among Australian recreational fishers, synthesise existing knowledge, and identify the key motivators and barriers influencing stewardship participation. Through a combination of literature review, qualitative research (stakeholder interviews and focus groups), and a national survey, the project will:
- Define and quantify stewardship behaviours within the Australian recreational fishing community.
- Identify key motivators and barriers to stewardship adoption.
- Develop a segmentation model to classify recreational fishers based on their engagement with stewardship.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of current stewardship programs and initiatives.
- Develop practical recommendations for fisheries management agencies, advocacy groups, and policymakers to enhance stewardship engagement.
- Provide a roadmap and communication strategy to drive greater adoption of stewardship practices across different fisher demographics and jurisdictions.

The research findings will be used to develop a nationally recognised framework for stewardship, ensuring alignment with the Stewardship Pathway of the Recfishing Research Strategy. This project will deliver practical insights that can be used by the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF), OzFish, state/territory recreational peak bodies, and fisheries management agencies to implement targeted stewardship initiatives.

By creating a clear and actionable strategy for stewardship in recreational fishing, this study will enable fishers, industry stakeholders, and fisheries managers to work together towards more sustainable and responsible fishing practices, ultimately contributing to the health and resilience of Australia’s aquatic ecosystems.