Regulatory, socioeconomic, and meteorological predictors of harvest in marine recreational fisheries.

This article examines how regulatory, socioeconomic, and meteorological factors influence harvest rates in marine recreational fisheries along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts. Analyzing data from 20 species between 1997 and 2018 using Bayesian generalized linear models, the study found that regulations generally became more restrictive over time, but their effectiveness varied by species. While minimum size limits and the proportion of the year open to fishing were often associated with harvest changes, bag limits showed inconsistent effects. Socioeconomic variables such as fuel price and household size, and meteorological factors like temperature, also influenced harvest, though not always in predicted directions. The findings suggest that effective management requires species-specific regulations that consider angler behavior and broader socioeconomic and environmental contexts.