Applying Human Dimensions Insights to Establish Recreational and Conservation Balance for a Trophy Fish Species

Oklahoma stocks of American paddlefish Polyodon spathula sustain recreational fishing opportunities for multiple user groups, with Grand Lake / Neosho River receiving greatest angling pressure.  However, stock assessment data suggest Grand Lake is dominated by a single cohort (1999) which has declined substantially due to combined harvest and natural mortality. In 2008, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation developed the paddlefish permit- a free fishing license addendum required to pursue or harvest paddlefish in Oklahoma and used to identify and survey paddlefish anglers.  Annual surveys showed increasing participation in paddlefish angling, with disproportionately higher pressure from nonresident anglers.  Surveys also revealed the majority of anglers harvested two fish or fewer.  Conservation concerns for paddlefish, driven largely by the expected Grand Lake stock decline and increasing fishing pressure, highlighted a need for harvest limitation.  Since 2008, with the aid of social and biological insights, numerous regulations were modified to ensure sustainable harvest.  In particular, individual annual harvest was limited to two paddlefish per angler, per year and two days per week were reserved for catch-and-release only. Expanded survey results will be shared, as well as implications for Oklahoma’s ongoing efforts to provide maximum opportunities for the public, while ensuring resources are protected.