2007 Weithman Winner: Implications of Reduced Stocking Frequencies on Fishing Quality in the Arkansas Urban Fishing Program

Declines in recreational fishing participation, under-representation of women and minorities among the angling population, and increased urban immigration and sprawl has prompted the development of urban fishing programs. ArkansasGameAndFishCommission initiated their urban fishing program, the Family&CommunityFishingProgram, in 2001. The FCFP stocks channel catfish biweekly from April-August and rainbow trout from December-March. Biweekly stocking has high transportation and personnel costs, and reducing stocking frequency to monthly would reduce these costs. The effects of stocking frequency on fishing quality and angler satisfaction were determined for biweekly and monthly (double density) stocking regimes. Stocking frequencies were randomly assigned to ponds, and reversed in the second year of the study. Bus-route roving creel surveys were used to collect angler catch, effort, and satisfaction data. There were no significant differences detected between stocking frequencies for effort, catch, harvest, or angler satisfaction ratings. Thus, AGFC can stock fish in the FCFP monthly as opposed to the current biweekly schedule without causing detrimental effects to fishing quality, as long as the same density of fish are stocked. This presentation was honored with the Weithman Award in 2007 and the results of this research served to change the standard operating stocking procedures of the AGFC Program.