For many years, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) has managed freshwater fisheries without fully understanding their stakeholders. To increase its knowledge and improve management, the VDGIF commissioned a market segmentation study to collect baseline information about its constituents and serve as a model for future studies. I developed a 16-page mail questionnaire that was sent to a stratified random sample of 5,378 Virginia resident freshwater fishing license holders. The questionnaire was use to collect information on characteristics, motivations, attitudes, and preferences of Virginia resident freshwater anglers. The response rate was 52%. I examined the descriptive characteristics of resident freshwater anglers and anglers who purchased different types of licenses and anglers from different management regions. Differences in fishing behaviors, motivations for fishing, attitudes, and preferences for management existed among anglers based on license type and regions. Although satisfaction with freshwater fishing was high, in most cases, many anglers believed that fishing quality had declined. By adopting a marketing approach and providing the desired experiences to each segment of anglers, the Fisheries Division may improve its relationship with anglers, as well as increase participation and satisfaction. I also segmented the Virginia anglers by species preference, specialization, and a multi-level approach that involved a combination of species preference and specialization. Anglers are not a homogenous group and they seek different experiences. Multi-level segmentation was the most useful method of segmentation because it identified within-species preference group differences. Within each species preference group I found several segments of anglers. Segments differed in their orientations (trophy or consumptive), preferred methods of fishing and information sources, and support for regulations. Specialist anglers from each species preference group were trophy oriented and some were consumptive oriented as well. Specialists also were the most supportive of restrictive regulations. Less specialized anglers in each species preference group generally were less trophy oriented, more consumptive, and less supportive of regulations than specialist anglers. My results provide better understanding of the different segments of anglers within each species preference group, which will allow managers to provide a more satisfying experience for their stakeholders. / Master of Science

Over recent decades recreational fisheries have grown substantially throughout the world. Despite this increase, catches from recreational fisheries have often been ignored in fisheries management, although this is now being remedied. Monitoring recreational fisheries can be expensive, and the primary means used for monitoring is angler (creel) surveys, typically funded from sales of fishing licences. The studies presented in this thesis examine different approaches to monitoring recreational trolling fisheries’ catch and effort, where fishing licenses are not required and there are no reporting requirements. I present results from a complemented roving/mail-in survey undertaken during 2013-2014 to estimate recreational effort and catch of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and brown trout (S. trutta) in the largest lake in the European Union, Lake Vänern, Sweden. I also evaluate different angler catch reporting methods (mail-in, tournament reports and face-to-face interviews) and compare catch rates within and among spring and fall fishing periods. In addition, mail-in survey data are examined for recall bias.   I estimate that 28.7 tonnes of salmon and trout combined were harvested by the recreational trolling fishery in 2014, more than the commercial and subsistence fisheries combined. Seasonal differences in both recreational effort and catch were observed. Effort, in boat hours, was significantly higher in spring than in fall. Catch rates of trout were higher in fall than in spring, but there were no seasonal differences in catches of salmon. Harvest per boat day did not differ significantly among catch reporting methods, indicating that all three methods could be useful for managers interested in harvest rates. In contrast, total and released catch per boat day differed among reporting methods, with tournament anglers catching more fish in total. Finally, there was little evidence for recall bias in mail-in surveys, indicating that mail-in surveys are useful for collecting unbiased catch data. My study is the most comprehensive angler survey to date for Lake Vänern, and my results should be of immediate use to local fisheries managers and should also be of interest to researchers and managers interested in estimating catch and effort for fisheries at large spatial scales. / Over the past several decades recreational fisheries have grown substantially throughout the world. Until recently, however, recreational catch has been ignored in the management of many important fisheries. The studies presented in this thesis examine different approaches to monitoring recreational trolling fisheries’ catch and effort in Lake Vänern, Sweden, the largest lake in the European Union. Paper I presents results from a complemented roving/mail-in survey, designed to estimate recreational effort and catch of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and brown trout (S. trutta). The results show that the recreational trolling fishery today harvests more salmon and trout annually than the commercial and subsistence fisheries combined, and that there are seasonal patterns in effort and catch. Paper II evaluates different angler catch reporting methods (mail-in, tournament reports, and face-to-face interviews), compares catch rates within and among spring and fall fishing periods and examines mail-in data for recall bias. Harvest per boat day did not differ significantly among catch reporting methods, indicating that all three could be useful for estimating harvest rates. However, tournament anglers had higher rates for released catch. Finally, there was little evidence for recall bias in mail-in surveys. In summary, this thesis has developed the framework for a recreational angler survey program for Lake Vänern, and should be of interest to researchers and managers interested in estimating catch and effort for fisheries at large spatial scales.

There are five endemic populations of migratory Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, Salmonidae) and brown trout (Salmo trutta, Salmonidae) remaining in Lake Vänern, whereof two are salmon and three are trout. There is one population of each species in Klarälven, also one of each in Gullspångsälven and there is a population of trout still remaining in Tidan River. Since the beginning of the 20th century endemic populations of salmon and trout have either vanished or declined dramatically due to the construction of hydropower in the rivers around the lake, and still today the future of the remaining populations remains uncertain. To manage salmonid fishes effectively more knowledge of their ecology throughout their different life-stages is needed. A large part of the Lake Vänern salmonoids lives are spent in the lake, where a mayor mortality factor is recreational fishing, especially angling. Estimation of fishing effort and catch is important in order to remain a sustainable fishery. In Lake Vänern commercial fishers are bound to report their catch, but anglers are not, -even though they are now thought to be responsible for the largest proportion of the catch. Angler interviews and access point surveys are the best ways to get accurate information in order to assess sport fish effort and catch. There are drawbacks of this method though that includes large costs, logistical problems and biased results due to the higher chance of interviewing the most avid anglers. To hand out mail-surveys is a kind of off-site survey that is less costly compare to interviews, but the drawbacks are bigger in getting correct information due to biased results from non-respondence. A study was conducted to compare an interview-survey with a mail-in survey, in which the interviews were conducted in Lillängshamnen, a port on the northern coast of Lake Vänern, and the mail-in surveys were distributed in different ports around the lake, though not in Lillängshamnen. This study shows a significant difference in catch per boat day between the interviews and mail-in survey. To find out more about how to develop the interview-survey there was also an analysis done on the correlation between weather and the number of interviews that were collected. One could find a negative correlation between numbers of interviews collected and the wind ratio, where very few interviews were collected once the wind speed measured more than 5-8 meters per second. There are improvements to be made both for the conduction of interviews and mail-in surveys, including more staff for conducting interviews at different ports and follow-ups on the non-respondents for the mail-in survey. / Av atlantlax (Salmo salar, Salmonidae) och öring (Salmo trutta, Salmonidae) finns idag fem endemiska populationer kvar i Vänern varav två är av lax och tre av öring. Det finns en klarälvsvariant av båda arterna, likaså finns det en gullspångsvariant av varje och sen finns även en öringpopulation kvar i Tidan. Sen början av 1900-talet har populationer av lax och öring utrotats eller minskat kraftigt till följd av vattenkraftens utbyggnad i vattendragen runt Vänern, och än idag är de resterande populationernas framtid oviss. För att kunna förvalta laxfiskarna på ett bra sätt krävs kunskaper om deras ekologi i dess olika livsstadier. En stor del av laxfiskarna runt Vänerns liv tillbringas i Vänern, där en mortalitetsfaktor består av fritidsfisket, då främst trolling. Uppskattning av ansträngning och fångst är viktigt för att hålla fisket i sjön på en hållbar nivå. Yrkesfisket måste rapportera all sin fångst men detta krävs inte av trollingfisket som idag tros stå för den största proportionen lax- och öringsfångst i Vänern. Genomförandet av intervjuer är en typ av plats- och åtkomstpunktsundersökning och är den bästa metoden att samla in korrekt information för att uppskatta sportfiskets ansträngning och fångst. Det finns dock nackdelar i form av stora kostnader, svår logistik och vinklade resultat då de mest entusiastiska fiskarna löper större chans att bli intervjuade. Att dela ut enkäter är en form av distansundersökning och även brevundersökning som kostar betydligt mindre än att genomföra intervjuer men brister vad gäller svarsfrekvens som i sin tur leder till vinklade resultat. En studie gjordes för att jämföra intervjuer med enkäter, där intervjuer genomfördes i Lillängshamnen på Vänerns norra kust och enkäter delades ut i olika hamnar runt hela Vänern, dock ej i Lillängshamnen. Denna undersökning visade att enkäter har en signifikant större fångst per båt än intervjuer. För att ta reda på mer om hur genomförandet av intervjuer skulle kunna förbättras undersöktes hur vädret påverkade antalet intervjuer som genomfördes. Man fick en negativ korrelation mellan antalet genomförda intervjuer och vindhastighet där ytterst få intervjuer genomfördes i vindhastigheter över 5-8 meter per sekund. Det finns förbättringspotential vad gäller både genomförandet av intervjuer och enkätundersökningar, bland annat mer personal till att kunna intervjua fler folk i olika hamnar och uppföljning på de enkäter som inte svarats på.