journal article
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Improving compliance of recreational fishers with Rockfish Conservation Areas: community–academic partnership to achieve and evaluate conservation
Ban, Natalie C;Kushneryk, Katrina;Falk, Jenna;Vachon, Alanna;Sleigh, Laurel;
doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsz134pmid: N/A
Abstract Compliance is a key factor in ensuring success of marine conservation. We describe a community–academic partnership that seeks to reduce non-compliance of recreational fishers with Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs) around Galiano Island in British Columbia, Canada. Previous work showed mostly unintentional non-compliance by recreational fishers. From 2015 to 2018 we developed and implemented outreach and public education activities. We distributed information at community events, and installed 46 metal signs with maps of nearby RCAs at marinas, ferry terminals, and boat launches. During the summers of 2015, 2017, and 2018, we interviewed 86 recreational fishers to gauge their compliance with RCAs. Compared with a baseline in 2014, there was a reduction of 22% (from 25 to 3%) of people who unintentionally fished in RCAs with prohibited gears. In 2018, 67% of participants had seen our outreach materials. We used trail cameras overlooking RCAs to assess non-compliance in six locations on Galiano Island. Illegal fishing incidents within RCAs declined from 42% of days monitored in 2014 to 14% in 2018. Although our outreach efforts were limited in scale and scope, they appear to be making a difference. Our activities and findings can provide guidance for other regions seeking to improve compliance by recreational fishers. Introduction Over the past several decades, there has been mounting concern for the state of the world’s fish populations, with overfishing as a key driver (Pauly et al., 2003; Halpern et al., 2012; Costello et al., 2016; Pauly and Zeller, 2016). Spatial management strategies have been implemented around the globe in an attempt to protect marine biodiversity and sustain fisheries (Vandeperre et al., 2011; Edgar et al., 2014; Gnanalingam and Hepburn, 2015). Such strategies involve identifying an area to rebuild and sustain an ecosystem or a specific species within that area, and include fishery closures and marine protected areas (MPAs; Walters and Martell, 2004; Douvere, 2008). The success of spatial management strategies depends on several factors, including the nature of restrictions, size of the area, characteristics of targeted marine species, and the compliance of fishers (Edgar et al., 2014; Arias et al., 2015; Sciberras et al., 2015). Compliance is essential for spatial conservation measures to be successful (Arias et al., 2015; Bergseth et al., 2015,, 2017). With global recognition of problems with illegal fishing, efforts are under way to understand the nature of the problem and reduce non-compliance (Agnew et al., 2009; Cabral et al., 2018). For example, international collaborations have formed between many organizations in the Southern Ocean to help reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activity (Österblom and Bodin, 2012). In other regions, changes in regulations have reduced illegal fishing. For example, in California illegal take of abalone decreased after the introduction of tagging regulations and MPAs (Lewis, 2015). In many cases, however, information is limited about the extent of illegal fishery (e.g. Pita et al., 2017). Achieving compliance is particularly difficult for fisheries that do not have advanced monitoring requirements (e.g. vessel monitoring systems, on-board observers). The marine recreational fisheries is a case in point. Although globally marine recreational fisheries comprise a small portion of catches (<1% of global catches; Pauly and Zeller, 2016), they contribute a large proportion of catches in some regions and for some species (Cooke and Cowx, 2004; Lewin et al., 2006). For instance, the recreational fishery accounts for 89% of total annual catch of rockfish in the Strait of Georgia, Canada (Haggarty, 2014), 43% of Atlantic pollack in the Celtic Seas and English Channel (Radford et al., 2018), and 92% of pollack in France (Herfaut et al., 2013). Marine recreational fisheries are varied, encompassing multiple gears (e.g. hook and line, trap, spearfish) and motivations for fishers (e.g. fishing for food, catch-and-release), and diverse regulations (Pita et al., 2018). In developed nations, one in ten people are estimated to fish for pleasure (Arlinghaus et al., 2019). With many individuals involved in recreational fisheries, ensuring knowledge of, and compliance with rules, is a challenge. For instance, in 83% of Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs) studied in the Strait of Georgia, recreational fishing activity remained the same as before the implementation of the conservation measure (Haggarty et al., 2016). Similarly, in the same area, ∼60% of recreational fishers could not identify the location of closures in places they fished (Lancaster et al., 2015). The purpose of this project was to develop strategies to improve recreational fisher compliance with a spatial management tool, RCAs, in the southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia (BC), Canada. Our study was inspired by previous research that found that recreational fishers were largely unaware of the existing rules and boundaries of RCAs, and saw a need for increased outreach and education (Lancaster et al., 2015). Here we report on our collaborative effort to increase awareness of RCAs among recreational fishers, while monitoring the effectiveness of these outreach strategies. This case study provides insight into the potential for partnerships between non-governmental organizations and educational institutions, with support by government, to act towards conservation of a group of species at a local level. Case study background Our case study focused on rockfish (Sebastes spp.) in the Strait of Georgia, BC (Figure 1) because conservation efforts are under way to recover depleted populations, and because recreational fishing contributes to the majority of rockfish mortality in the region (Haggarty, 2014). Rockfish are susceptible to overfishing because of their long lifespan (Munk, 2001), long maturation rate, and stationary lifestyle (Love et al., 2002; Berkeley et al., 2004a, b). Furthermore, as with other physoclistic and deep‐dwelling species, they experience severe barotrauma from the expansion of swimbladder gases as the fish are brought to the surface (Hannah et al., 2008). Several rockfish species are listed as special concern, threatened, or endangered (Table 1). RCAs were implemented off the coast of BC to protect and recover populations of rockfishes, especially inshore rockfish (Yamanaka and Logan, 2010). Permitted recreational fishing activities within RCAs are hand picking or diving for invertebrates; crab by trap; shrimp/prawn by trap; and smelt by gillnet (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2005). Commercial groundfish fisheries in BC have vessel monitoring systems and 100% observer coverage, and thus good compliance. Yet while RCAs have been in place for more than a dozen years, they have shown limited, if any, recovery of rockfish (Haggarty, 2014). Non-compliance by recreational fishers is a likely factor, especially in regions where commercial groundfish fisheries are limited and recreational fisheries are the dominant source of rockfish mortality (Lancaster et al., 2015; Haggarty et al., 2016). Table 1. Conservation status of rockfishes in Pacific Canada as assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). Species common and Latin name COSEWIC status SARA status Canary rockfish; Sebastes pinniger Threatened None Darkblotched rockfish; Sebastes crameri Special concern None Quillback rockfish; Sebastes maliger Threatened None Rougheye rockfish; Sebastes aleutianus type I and S. aleutianus type II Special concern Special concern Yelloweye rockfish; Sebastes ruberrimus Special concern Special concern Yellowmouth rockfish; Sebastes reedi Threatened None Species common and Latin name COSEWIC status SARA status Canary rockfish; Sebastes pinniger Threatened None Darkblotched rockfish; Sebastes crameri Special concern None Quillback rockfish; Sebastes maliger Threatened None Rougheye rockfish; Sebastes aleutianus type I and S. aleutianus type II Special concern Special concern Yelloweye rockfish; Sebastes ruberrimus Special concern Special concern Yellowmouth rockfish; Sebastes reedi Threatened None View Large Table 1. Conservation status of rockfishes in Pacific Canada as assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). Species common and Latin name COSEWIC status SARA status Canary rockfish; Sebastes pinniger Threatened None Darkblotched rockfish; Sebastes crameri Special concern None Quillback rockfish; Sebastes maliger Threatened None Rougheye rockfish; Sebastes aleutianus type I and S. aleutianus type II Special concern Special concern Yelloweye rockfish; Sebastes ruberrimus Special concern Special concern Yellowmouth rockfish; Sebastes reedi Threatened None Species common and Latin name COSEWIC status SARA status Canary rockfish; Sebastes pinniger Threatened None Darkblotched rockfish; Sebastes crameri Special concern None Quillback rockfish; Sebastes maliger Threatened None Rougheye rockfish; Sebastes aleutianus type I and S. aleutianus type II Special concern Special concern Yelloweye rockfish; Sebastes ruberrimus Special concern Special concern Yellowmouth rockfish; Sebastes reedi Threatened None View Large Figure 1. View largeDownload slide Regional map of the southern Gulf Islands, with rockfish conservation areas in shaded. Figure 1. View largeDownload slide Regional map of the southern Gulf Islands, with rockfish conservation areas in shaded. Galiano Island, the location of our study, is located in the heart of the Salish Sea, in the midst of one of BC’s most biologically productive areas (Beamish and McFarlane, 2014). The waters surrounding the island are popular with recreational fishers (Haggarty, 2014), and the island is just a short ferry ride from the urban centres of Victoria and Vancouver. Since the 1980s, rockfish have been a focus of sport fishing despite growing conservation concerns (Beamish and McFarlane, 2014). Methods This project had two components: (i) Public outreach and education activities to increase awareness of RCAs; and (ii) Measuring the effectiveness of these activities at reducing non-compliance by interviewing recreational fishers and monitoring RCAs with trail cameras. Public outreach and education activities We created a strategy for improving compliance with RCAs based on recommendations obtained by Lancaster et al. (2015) from recreational fishers. Fishers’ recommended that “rockfish conservation could be improved through increased knowledge and awareness through signage, education campaigns, and general advertising as well as permanent or temporary rockfish fishing moratoriums” (Lancaster et al., 2015). We developed a three-pronged outreach and education strategy: (i) develop and distribute posters, maps, and signs; (ii) in-person engagement at community events; and (iii) other outreach. First, we [led by the Galiano Conservancy Association (GCA) and Valdes Island Conservancy (VIC)] created and distributed ∼1680 rockfish conservation posters and signs, and 2500 newsletters to raise awareness about rockfish conservation and RCAs (e.g. Figure 2). Forty-six permanent, metal, 2 × 3 foot signs were a key part of the strategy to create awareness about the locations of RCAs. These signs display a map of each specific region and all RCAs within it, and many include a marker to indicate where the sign is located (see Figure 3 for an example). We phased in the signs as funding allowed, targeting locations that recreational fishers frequent such as marinas, boat launches, ferry terminals, and docks (Figure 4). Each of the signs also provides information about local rockfish species, permitted activities within RCAs, and rockfish conservation facts. Second, we had in-person presence and materials at various community events around Galiano Island, Vancouver Island, and other southern Gulf Islands to reach out to the general public (∼4000 people reached, Supplementary Appendix SB). Finally, other outreach included the creation of a Rockfish Conservation Project Facebook page to provide a widely accessible platform for current news articles, project and event updates, photos, and resources. In 2015, GCA and VIC published an insert in the local newspaper Island Tides, which services the southern Gulf Islands that included information about RCAs and a map with locations. Figure 2. View largeDownload slide Rockfish conservation awareness poster. Figure 2. View largeDownload slide Rockfish conservation awareness poster. Figure 3. View largeDownload slide Example of permanent RCA sign from Montague Harbour Marina, Galiano Island, BC, Canada. Figure 3. View largeDownload slide Example of permanent RCA sign from Montague Harbour Marina, Galiano Island, BC, Canada. Figure 4. View largeDownload slide Locations of RCA signage installed in 2015–2017. Figure 4. View largeDownload slide Locations of RCA signage installed in 2015–2017. Measuring effectiveness of outreach Although the public outreach and education activities are important on their own, we wanted to assess their effectiveness at reaching recreational fishers, and at affecting compliance with RCAs. We followed and slightly adapted methods developed by Lancaster et al. (2015, 2017) for recreational fisher surveys and camera monitoring. Recreational fisher surveys We used a slightly adapted version of the survey developed by Lancaster et al. (2015) to assess knowledge of and compliance with RCAs. Prior to starting interviews, we told participants that the survey was strictly for research purposes, and that responses would be anonymous. The structured survey included closed- and open-ended questions (Supplementary Appendix SA). For example, we asked if fishers had heard of RCAs prior to our survey, and if they felt confident of RCA boundary locations. When surveying fishers, we attempted to reduce any social desirability bias in their non-compliance reporting by allowing individuals to complete some survey questions by hand without having to answer verbally to the interviewer. We explained all permitted fishing activities to participants, and used charts of RCA locations as a visual aid when asking respondents if they had accidentally fished using prohibited techniques in an RCA in the past 2 years. We also asked whether they personally know anyone who has intentionally fished in RCAs using prohibited techniques, a non-sensitive direct question about non-compliance (Arias and Sutton, 2013). Lancaster et al. (2015) also used the randomized response technique to gauge personal intentional non-compliance. Respondents found this approach confusing, and appeared to be comfortable answering direct questions about unintentional and deliberate non-compliance. Thus, we only asked direct questions. Furthermore, we added a question about familiarity with our outreach and education activities. We conducted the in-person surveys on Galiano Island (2015: n = 25; 2017: n = 31; 2018: n = 30) during July and August, the busiest times of the year for recreational fishing activity in the region. A notice of implied consent printed at the top of the surveys was shown to all participants (University of Victoria Ethic Protocol Number 14-142). Each survey took ∼10–15 min to complete. We compared our results to surveys conducted in 2014 by Lancaster et al. (2015) on Galiano Island (i.e. a subset of the surveys conducted in that study, n = 40). We used the fmsb package in R (3.5.3; R Core Team, 2019) to calculate odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing to ascertain whether there was a significant change between 2014, prior to any outreach, and 2018, the last year of our data. Odds ratios of below one indicate lower responses in 2018 compared with 2014 (e.g. fewer admissions of illegal fishing); confidence intervals that encompass one indicates no significant responses. Camera monitoring We also wanted to assess any changes in compliance on the water. Lancaster et al. (2017) innovated a method of using land-based trail cameras to monitor RCA locations, and we followed those protocols. We set up six Bushnell HD Trail Cameras to overlook RCAs around Galiano Island (Trincomali Channel RCA, Galiano Island North RCA, and Mayne Island North RCA) during summers of 2016, 2017, and 2018 (Figure 5). Cameras have a field of view (FOV) of 50° with an effective range to 1 km. Cameras were placed to maximize ocean coverage in the FOV (Figure 2); total ocean cover varied from location to location (min = ∼60% coverage, max = 100% coverage). We estimate that a line could be seen in the water when boats were within 50 m of the camera. Locations were selected to maximize RCA ocean coverage across all Galiano RCAs while maintaining a small number of cameras and streamlined fieldwork structure. Where possible, cameras were placed on protected lands (Provincial Park or lands held by GCA) to ensure long-term access to these monitoring sites. In the absence of protected lands, private waterfront properties were used upon owner permission. We monitored three locations in the Trincomali Channel RCA because of the size of this RCA, geographic variability in fishing effort across the RCA, and because of community concerns and reports of targeted fishing effort around Retreat Island specifically. The exact locations shifted minimally year-to-year based on landholder permissions and local conditions (such as a tree falling down that was previously used); the fields of view of the cameras were similar over the years. The only major change was that one location used in 2014 was discontinued because it was too high on a ridge and thus too far from the ocean. Cameras were mounted on trees or human infrastructure (e.g. deck railings) in proximity to the water. Installation sites were chosen to be as close as possible to the water, while maintaining ideal ocean coverage and reducing any risk of falling into the water during deployment and retrieval. Figure 5. View largeDownload slide RCA camera monitoring sites (yellow circles) in 2016–2018 on Galiano Island. Six cameras were set up to monitor the Trincomali Channel RCA (Retreat Island, Retreat Cove, Montague Harbour, District Lot 57), Mayne Island North RCA (Cain Beach), and Galiano Island North RCA (Pebble Beach). RCAs are shaded. Figure 5. View largeDownload slide RCA camera monitoring sites (yellow circles) in 2016–2018 on Galiano Island. Six cameras were set up to monitor the Trincomali Channel RCA (Retreat Island, Retreat Cove, Montague Harbour, District Lot 57), Mayne Island North RCA (Cain Beach), and Galiano Island North RCA (Pebble Beach). RCAs are shaded. We programmed the cameras to take pictures every 5 min during daylight hours. Cameras did not take pictures from dusk to dawn because of several factors: (i) we based monitoring hours on the assumption that most recreational fishing will take place during daylight hours; and (ii) the photographic detail required to capture fishing incidents (such as a visible rod, or seeing the trolling pattern of a boat) would be difficult at night without infrared photography (a feature that our cameras did not have). Vessels that appeared in three consecutive frames or more (i.e. on-site for over 10 min with minimal movement) or with clearly identifiable fishing equipment were labelled as “suspected fishing,” whereas vessels visibly using their fishing gear during the frame were labelled as “confirmed fishing” (i.e. we could see a fishing line in the water). We calculated the per cent of suspected fishing incidents, normalized by days monitored. We then compared findings to Lancaster et al.’s data (2017), which were collected in 2014 prior to our outreach and education efforts. We again used odds ratios to ascertain whether there was a statistically significant change between 2014, prior to any outreach, and 2018, the last year of our data. Results Measuring effectiveness of outreach Recreational fisher surveys We completed 86 surveys in total in 2015, 2017, and 2018; Lancaster et al. (2015) sampled 40 people on Galiano Island in 2014 (baseline data prior to outreach and education efforts; Table 2). The number of participants who had heard of RCAs before completing the survey increased from 78% in 2014 to 90% in 2018 (but was highest in 2017 at 97%). Participants who were confident in RCA boundaries in areas they commonly fished increased from 48% (2014) to 67% (2018). Those who identified they had accidentally fished in RCAs in the past 2 years decreased from 25% (2014) to 3% (2018), but was highest in 2017 (35%); the change in unintentional non-compliance was statistically significant between 2014 and 2018 (odds ratio hypothesis test, p = 0.014, Table 2). Similarly, intentional non-compliance also decreased from 8% in 2014 to 3% in 2018, although was not statistically significant. Lack of awareness or ignorance were often identified as primary reasons for recreational fishers fishing in RCAs, and more so in 2018 (2014: 55%; 2018: 80%; odds ratio hypothesis test p = 0.030). Public education and outreach were consistently identified as effective measures for improving rockfish conservation (2014: 45%; 2018: 50%). Table 2. Per cent responses from structured surveys with recreational fishers around Galiano Island during peak fishing season (June–August) in 2015 (n = 25), 2017 (n = 31), and 2018 (n = 30). Participants who… 2014 (%) 2015 (%) 2017 (%) 2018 (%) Odds ratio Lower 95% CI Upper 95% CI p-value Heard of RCAs before beginning the survey 78 80 97 90 0.383 0.094 1.559 0.173 Had seen GCA rockfish outreach materials N/A 24 52 67 (Not applicable—no 2014 baseline) Correctly identified legal rockfish catch per day in the Salish Sea 28 61 35 30 0.885 0.311 2.516 0.820 Responded with recreational fishing activities not permitted in RCAs 50 68 58 37 0.579 0.220 1.523 0.270 Were confident in their knowledge of RCA boundaries in the areas they fish 48 52 42 67 0.452 0.170 1.206 0.113 Intentionally fished illegally in RCAs in the past 2 years 8 12 3 3 0.426 0.042 4.305 0.461 Accidentally fished illegally in RCAs in the past 2 years 25 28 35 3 0.103 0.012 0.860 0.014 Personally knows someone who intentionally fished illegally in RCAs in the past 2 years 14 28 13 3 0.241 0.027 2.184 0.178 Identified public education and outreach as effective tools for improving rockfish conservation 45 32 35 50 0.708 0.268 1.865 0.487 Identified lack of awareness as a primary reason recreational fishers fish in RCAs 55 36 45 80 0.306 0.103 0.909 0.030 Participants who… 2014 (%) 2015 (%) 2017 (%) 2018 (%) Odds ratio Lower 95% CI Upper 95% CI p-value Heard of RCAs before beginning the survey 78 80 97 90 0.383 0.094 1.559 0.173 Had seen GCA rockfish outreach materials N/A 24 52 67 (Not applicable—no 2014 baseline) Correctly identified legal rockfish catch per day in the Salish Sea 28 61 35 30 0.885 0.311 2.516 0.820 Responded with recreational fishing activities not permitted in RCAs 50 68 58 37 0.579 0.220 1.523 0.270 Were confident in their knowledge of RCA boundaries in the areas they fish 48 52 42 67 0.452 0.170 1.206 0.113 Intentionally fished illegally in RCAs in the past 2 years 8 12 3 3 0.426 0.042 4.305 0.461 Accidentally fished illegally in RCAs in the past 2 years 25 28 35 3 0.103 0.012 0.860 0.014 Personally knows someone who intentionally fished illegally in RCAs in the past 2 years 14 28 13 3 0.241 0.027 2.184 0.178 Identified public education and outreach as effective tools for improving rockfish conservation 45 32 35 50 0.708 0.268 1.865 0.487 Identified lack of awareness as a primary reason recreational fishers fish in RCAs 55 36 45 80 0.306 0.103 0.909 0.030 The 2014 (n = 40) baseline data are the subset of data collected by Lancaster et al. (2015) on Galiano Island in Montague Harbour. Odds ratios shown with the lower and upper 95% confidence interval (CI) and p-value, comparing the 2014 (the baseline year prior to any outreach) and 2018. View Large Table 2. Per cent responses from structured surveys with recreational fishers around Galiano Island during peak fishing season (June–August) in 2015 (n = 25), 2017 (n = 31), and 2018 (n = 30). Participants who… 2014 (%) 2015 (%) 2017 (%) 2018 (%) Odds ratio Lower 95% CI Upper 95% CI p-value Heard of RCAs before beginning the survey 78 80 97 90 0.383 0.094 1.559 0.173 Had seen GCA rockfish outreach materials N/A 24 52 67 (Not applicable—no 2014 baseline) Correctly identified legal rockfish catch per day in the Salish Sea 28 61 35 30 0.885 0.311 2.516 0.820 Responded with recreational fishing activities not permitted in RCAs 50 68 58 37 0.579 0.220 1.523 0.270 Were confident in their knowledge of RCA boundaries in the areas they fish 48 52 42 67 0.452 0.170 1.206 0.113 Intentionally fished illegally in RCAs in the past 2 years 8 12 3 3 0.426 0.042 4.305 0.461 Accidentally fished illegally in RCAs in the past 2 years 25 28 35 3 0.103 0.012 0.860 0.014 Personally knows someone who intentionally fished illegally in RCAs in the past 2 years 14 28 13 3 0.241 0.027 2.184 0.178 Identified public education and outreach as effective tools for improving rockfish conservation 45 32 35 50 0.708 0.268 1.865 0.487 Identified lack of awareness as a primary reason recreational fishers fish in RCAs 55 36 45 80 0.306 0.103 0.909 0.030 Participants who… 2014 (%) 2015 (%) 2017 (%) 2018 (%) Odds ratio Lower 95% CI Upper 95% CI p-value Heard of RCAs before beginning the survey 78 80 97 90 0.383 0.094 1.559 0.173 Had seen GCA rockfish outreach materials N/A 24 52 67 (Not applicable—no 2014 baseline) Correctly identified legal rockfish catch per day in the Salish Sea 28 61 35 30 0.885 0.311 2.516 0.820 Responded with recreational fishing activities not permitted in RCAs 50 68 58 37 0.579 0.220 1.523 0.270 Were confident in their knowledge of RCA boundaries in the areas they fish 48 52 42 67 0.452 0.170 1.206 0.113 Intentionally fished illegally in RCAs in the past 2 years 8 12 3 3 0.426 0.042 4.305 0.461 Accidentally fished illegally in RCAs in the past 2 years 25 28 35 3 0.103 0.012 0.860 0.014 Personally knows someone who intentionally fished illegally in RCAs in the past 2 years 14 28 13 3 0.241 0.027 2.184 0.178 Identified public education and outreach as effective tools for improving rockfish conservation 45 32 35 50 0.708 0.268 1.865 0.487 Identified lack of awareness as a primary reason recreational fishers fish in RCAs 55 36 45 80 0.306 0.103 0.909 0.030 The 2014 (n = 40) baseline data are the subset of data collected by Lancaster et al. (2015) on Galiano Island in Montague Harbour. Odds ratios shown with the lower and upper 95% confidence interval (CI) and p-value, comparing the 2014 (the baseline year prior to any outreach) and 2018. View Large Camera monitoring Results from six trail cameras monitoring three RCAs around Galiano Island (Mayne Island North, Trincomali Channel, and Galiano North) illustrated some non-compliance, but less than in 2014 (Table 3). The 2016 fishing season had 74 recorded incidents of suspected fishing (suspected fishing incidents normalized by days monitored was 15.6%), compared with 32 incidences of suspected fishing and 2 incidences of confirmed fishing in 2017 (11.8%). In 2018 there were 54 suspected and 2 confirmed illegal fishing events inside RCAs (13.7%), compared with 42.0% in 2014. The change from 2014 to 2018 was statistically significant (odds ratio estimate 0.217, 95% confidence intervals 0.128 to 0.367, p < 0.0001). Table 3. Results of trail camera monitoring of RCAs around Galiano Island during peak fishing season in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Year Percentage of confirmed or suspected fishing incidents (%) Total number of camera days monitored Number of sites monitored 2014 42.0 81.5 10 2016 15.6 473 6 2017 11.8 287 6 2018 13.7 392 6 Year Percentage of confirmed or suspected fishing incidents (%) Total number of camera days monitored Number of sites monitored 2014 42.0 81.5 10 2016 15.6 473 6 2017 11.8 287 6 2018 13.7 392 6 The 2014 baseline data were the subset of data collected on Galiano Island by Lancaster et al. (2017). Percentage of confirmed or suspected fishing incidents were normalized by days monitored. View Large Table 3. Results of trail camera monitoring of RCAs around Galiano Island during peak fishing season in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Year Percentage of confirmed or suspected fishing incidents (%) Total number of camera days monitored Number of sites monitored 2014 42.0 81.5 10 2016 15.6 473 6 2017 11.8 287 6 2018 13.7 392 6 Year Percentage of confirmed or suspected fishing incidents (%) Total number of camera days monitored Number of sites monitored 2014 42.0 81.5 10 2016 15.6 473 6 2017 11.8 287 6 2018 13.7 392 6 The 2014 baseline data were the subset of data collected on Galiano Island by Lancaster et al. (2017). Percentage of confirmed or suspected fishing incidents were normalized by days monitored. View Large Discussion Compliance is a factor in the success of spatial fishery management efforts (Arias et al., 2015; Bergseth et al., 2015). After 4 years of outreach, education, and monitoring efforts, the Rockfish Conservation Project appears to be successful in increasing awareness and reducing non-compliance. Cooperation between different organizations has been crucial to the success of the project, bringing together expertise on community engagement, outreach and education, with research approaches to monitor the effectiveness of those efforts. It is a model that can be mirrored or adapted by other multidisciplinary groups attempting to work towards the conservation of species at risk around the world. Ours is one study among a growing literature on innovative approaches to measure non-compliance. For example, a recent report by the Working Group on Recreational Fisheries Surveys (ICES, 2018) summarized novel approaches as including digital cameras and passive acoustic monitoring of recreational fishing effort. For instance, a pilot study in Poland is using remote CCTV cameras at marinas to record boat movement, and thereby estimates recreational salmon fishing effort (ICES, 2018). Text and data mining of social media are also being used to understand recreational fishing activities (ICES, 2018; Monkman et al., 2018). Other regions have explored the use of harvest tags to assess compliance (Ryan et al., 2016), whereas others have found diary surveys to be cost-effective (Bellanger and Levrel, 2017). Innovative approaches trialled elsewhere can help to guide future improvements in our project. For instance, we are in discussions with an angling organization to add functionalities to their app to warn fishers when they enter a restricted area such as an RCA, while also obtaining information about their catches. Potential additional innovations could include exploring monitoring at marinas (as per the example from Poland), or using machine learning to identify boats (Monkman et al., 2018). Monitoring non-compliance is important, but ultimately the challenge lies in effectively governing recreational fisheries (Arlinghaus et al., 2019). Although there are numerous studies that attempt to assess non-compliance by recreational fishers (e.g. Smallwood and Beckley, 2012; Arias and Sutton, 2013; Arias et al., 2015; Haggarty et al., 2016), to date there is limited research on specific approaches that can improve their compliance. We focused on outreach and education efforts because those were recommended by recreational fishers in our region (Lancaster et al., 2015) and were within our abilities, whereas we did not have the authority to carry out enforcement. Other studies (e.g. Read et al., 2011) illustrate that an increase in enforcement (e.g. visibility of fishery officers on the water, citations issued, boats stopped, and checked for compliance) can also lead to improved voluntary compliance. Indeed, fishers we interviewed wanted to see an increased presence of fishery officers. Furthermore, apps could provide opportunities to collect data and can also assist with compliance by providing easy access to regulations and warning fishers when they enter conservation areas (Venturelli et al., 2017). Although we saw a decrease in stated and observed non-compliance, our monitoring efforts focused only on the study region, and did not include a control region where we did not have outreach and education efforts. Also, only some of the trends were statistically significant, likely because of the relatively small sample sizes. Although we hypothesize that our outreach and education activities have contributed to increasing compliance, we are unable to demonstrate causation, and other factors may also be contributing. One important change that happened in early 2018 is that the main digital chart company used in the region by recreational fishers, Navionics, added RCA boundaries to digital charts (Navionics, 2018). However, RCAs are denoted by a thin red line, and only recreational fishers looking for RCA boundaries are likely to take note. Our study had several additional limitations. Our geographic scope meant that our reach was limited. Many recreational fishers come from afar (especially the Canadian province of Alberta and the United States) to fish in the southern Strait of Georgia, and only an unknown but likely minor proportion stop on Galiano Island. Our outreach and education efforts were thus not reaching many of the recreational fishers in the area, although the signs have been set up around the region in Canada (but not in the United States). Furthermore, our limited capacity to interview fishers on Galiano Island meant that our sample was relatively small each year, and we do not know if it represents recreational fishers. The trail cameras also had limitations. They were useful in identifying possible fishing with illegal gears inside RCAs, but often boats were too far away to identify whether active fishing was happening. Cameras were also unable to take photos throughout the night, and although it is unlikely there was a high volume of recreational fishing taking place in the dark, this may have resulted in missing data from any night activity. Having six cameras limited the geographic coverage of the cameras, with each only capturing a small portion of RCAs. Likewise, the cameras cannot distinguish between recreational fishers with illegal gears fishing inside RCAs, and First Nations fishers who are allowed to fish for food, social, and ceremonial purposes inside RCAs (see Lancaster et al., 2017 for a more extensive discussion about the trail cameras). Finally, funding limitations constrained the scope, and finding ongoing funds to continue the project is a challenge. That we saw improvement in compliance indicates a hopeful tale that small organizations and partnerships can make a tractable difference. Time will tell whether the improvement in compliance will persist, and if it will allow local rockfish populations to increase. Given the long-lived nature of rockfish, it will take decades for their recovery. Thus, it is crucial for recreational fishers to continue to comply with RCAs if they are to be successful, and for the geographic scope of compliance to include all areas in BC. Other conservation measures that are important include a review of the locations and allowable uses of RCAs, which is currently being conducted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Similarly, encouraging or mandating the use of re-descenders to return rockfish caught as bycatch outside of RCAs to depth, and thereby reduce the effects of barotrauma, could help the recovery of rockfish populations (DFO, 2018). Acknowledgements This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada. Funding has been provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) through the Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) for Species at Risk. The intent of the HSP is to conserve Canada’s biodiversity by aiding in the recovery of species at risk and working to prevent other species from falling into this category (Government of Canada, 2017). Funding was also provided by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, including their Undergraduate Summer Research Assistant programme, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Wage Subsidy funding to support co-op and summer research student work placements was provided by Canada Summer Jobs, Eco Canada Co-op, and Career Launcher Clean Tech programme. A special thanks to the volunteers that have supported this project. 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