Determinants of Saltwater Anglers’ Satisfaction with Fisheries Management: Regional Perspectives in the United States

Understanding saltwater angler preferences, motivations, and satisfaction levels can assist recreational fisheries managers in providing high‐quality fishing experiences for their constituents. To better understand the relationship between anglers’ motivations, preferences, and satisfaction with fisheries management and any regional differences that may exist, the National Marine Fisheries Service implemented a mail survey using a large national sample of saltwater recreational anglers. The survey collected information about recreational fisheries management, fishing trip characteristics, fishing motivations, aSnd demographic variables. Binary logit models estimated for six regions—Alaska, West Coast, Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, Mid‐Atlantic, and New England—show that several variables, including trip characteristics, fishing motivations, avidity, demographic variables, and angler preferences for specific types of management strategies, are significant determinants of satisfaction with the fisheries management process and outcomes; however, these findings vary considerably among regions. Results also show variation in overall satisfaction levels, with anglers in the South Atlantic being generally more satisfied with both the management process and management outcomes and anglers on the West Coast being generally less satisfied with both the management process and management outcomes than anglers in other regions. Results can help inform federal fisheries management on the types of management strategies and outcomes anglers prefer and in developing or improving communication and outreach efforts, particularly in regions where angler satisfaction is comparatively low. Received November 5, 2015; accepted August 24, 2016Published online January 23, 2017