Introduction: An Examination into Influencing the Future of Angling Participation to Sustain Conservation Support

All anglers are bound together by their participation in conservation as well as the individual and societal benefits accrued through interacting with fisheries resources. Individual anglers receive benefits through participation, their expenditures create jobs and economic impact, and contributions by anglers to non-governmental organizations, excise taxes paid, and fishing licenses purchased provide funds to support the necessary work required to acquire, manage, conserve, and guide the wise-use of fisheries resources. Despite population growth, the number of persons participating in angling has stagnated or even declined in recent years. This threatens to erode away the very benefits society reaps from angling participation. Presentations in this symposium will examine a plethora of issues surrounding angling participation and lead to more analytical and critical thinking about a variety of fish and wildlife agency operations in the light of angling. To accomplish these goals, this symposium will discuss the human dimensions of angling, marketing research, recruitment and retention, aquatic education and urban/community fisheries programs, fishing access issues, constraints and barriers to participation, use of partnerships, license packaging impacts, communication strategies, and influences of regulation on angling participation.