Recreational fisheries play a pivotal role as economic drivers throughout the world, but can be especially beneficial to developing nations.  This benefit, however, can be overshadowed by a lack of foresight and planning if management strategies are not established early in the process. In addition to economic impacts, recreational fisheries also provide strong social and cultural connections for coastal and island communities.  Like most natural systems, the ecosystems that support recreational fisheries are experiencing increasing pressure from human activity and overuse, climate change, ocean acidification, etc. which threaten their long-term sustainable use.  This full-day symposium invites contributions focused on the importance of recreational fisheries and can include topics such as bioeconomics, intersectoral conflicts and threats, and/or management challenges.  Contributions to share experiences, knowledge, and future concerns are strongly encouraged from practitioners and organizations involved in recreational fisheries activities–including fishing guides, boat/tour operators, fishing clubs, non-governmental organizations, and similar.

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