PhD defence about data collection from recreational fisheries through electronic citizen science platforms

Data collection from recreational angling is important to secure sustainable management of fish stocks. However, data is generally lacking in many areas, because it is time consuming and expensive to collect data from anglers who fish over vast geographical areas at all times of the day and year.

The challenges of data collection highlight the need to rethink data collection approaches, Casper Gundelund Jørgensen, DTU Aqua, points out in his PhD thesis. He suggests that electronic citizen science platforms, where anglers voluntarily report data about their fishing trips and catches, might be a cost-efficient solution that can supplement or maybe even replace traditional survey methods like interviews or questionnaires.

Casper Gundelund Jørgensen has used the Danish citizen science project Fangstjournalen (working on app and website) as an example to investigate strengths and current limitations of electronic citizen science platforms as methods to collect data from anglers i.e. fishing with rod and line.

Citizen science provide new opportunies

In his PhD thesis, Casper Gundelund Jørgensen concludes that the findings indicate that citizen science platforms in some, but not all fisheries are able to provide data about recreational angling that is similar to data collected through traditional survey methods. Additionally, he points out that the electronic citizen science platforms provide vast research opportunities, for example about human dimensions of recreational angling.

The more participants, the better data

For the most parts, the current limitations relate to participation. For example, the participants using Fangstjournalen are not representative of the general angling population. Furthermore, many anglers quickly stop using the platform, and less committed anglers provide data to a much lesser degree than other angler segments.

In his PhD thesis, Casper Gundelund Jørgensen suggests that data quality could be improved e.g. by focusing on recruitment and retention strategies aimed towards less committed anglers and international tourists anglers.

About the PhD defence

Casper Gundelund Jørgensen will defend his PhD thesis "Electronic citizen science platforms as methods to collect data from recreational fisheries” on Wednesday 10 November 2021 at 8:00 pm (CET) via Zoom (find link below).

Supervisors

• Principal Supervisor: Associate Professor Christian Skov, DTU Aqua
• Co-supervisor: Senior Researcher Henrik Baktoft, DTU Aqua
• Co-supervisor: Professor Kim Aarestrup, DTU Aqua

Examiners

• Professor David Lusseau, DTU Aqua (chair)
• Professor Thrond O. Haugen, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway
• Dr. Robert N. M Ahrens, NOAA NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, USA

Chairperson at defence

• Senior Researcher Dorte Bekkevold, DTU Aqua

Learn more

A popular science summary of the thesis can be downloaded here

A copy of the thesis is available by e-mail on request. Please contact Karin Stubgaard, stub@aqua.dtu.dk