Trends in Inland Commercial Fisheries in the United States

Inland fisheries, defined as finfish caught in lakes, rivers, and other water bodies, provide economic value and a source of protein at local and international levels. However, no comprehensive compilation of U.S. inland commercial fisheries exists. We sought to obtain data across all 50 states duri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Fisheries (Bethesda) 2020-11, Vol.45 (11), p.585-596
Main Authors: Murray, Devin N., Bunnell, David B., Rogers, Mark W., Lynch, Abigail J., Douglas Beard, T., Funge‐Smith, Simon
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Clupeidae
Commercial fishing
Economics
Fisheries
Freshwater fishes
Inland fisheries
Inland waters
Lakes
Landing statistics
Rivers
Statistical methods
Water use
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Summary:Inland fisheries, defined as finfish caught in lakes, rivers, and other water bodies, provide economic value and a source of protein at local and international levels. However, no comprehensive compilation of U.S. inland commercial fisheries exists. We sought to obtain data across all 50 states during 1990–2015 and noted a small, but significant, decline in harvest. The minimum harvest averaged 41,427 tonnes during 2009–2015 and peaked in 1995 with a minimum harvest of 49,951 tonnes. During 2009–2015, harvest and taxonomic composition varied regionally: eastern interior (the highest regional harvest, dominated by coregonines and carp), western interior (carp and Clupeidae), Gulf (catfish and Clupeidae), Pacific (salmonines), and Atlantic (the lowest regional harvest, dominated by catfish and Clupeidae). Our data compilation of commercial landings was more than double the current limited national inland harvest statistics, which might be indicative of an under appreciation for the value of inland fisheries that can have consequences when policy decisions are made regarding competing sectors for water usage.
ISSN:0363-2415
1548-8446
1548-8675
DOI:10.1002/fsh.10483