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The randomized response technique as a tool for estimating non-compliance rates in fisheries: a case study of illegal red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) fishing in Northern California

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 July 2009

SARA G. BLANK  and
MICHAEL C. GAVIN
SARA G. BLANK*
Affiliation:
339 Walnut Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
MICHAEL C. GAVIN
Affiliation:
School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
*
*Correspondence: Sara G. Blank Tel: +1 831 998 3831 e-mail: saragblank@gmail.com
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Summary

Illegal fishing has detrimental environmental and social impacts, but these effects are difficult to mitigate without reliable estimates of fisher non-compliance. Methods used by fisheries managers to estimate illegal fishing often require indirect estimation of poaching using biological, economic or sociological indicators. This study presents a unique application of the randomized response technique (RRT) for direct estimation of non-compliance in fisheries to the Northern California recreational red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) fishery. An anonymous paper-based compliance and sociodemographic survey of recreational fishers in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties estimated 29% non-compliance with the daily take limit, 23% with the minimum size limit, 19% with licensing laws and 15% with the annual take limit. RRT results also indicated how different sociodemographic characteristics related to non-compliance. Visitors had higher non-compliance rates than local fishers for all regulations except daily take limits, which an estimated 72% of locals violated versus 18% of visitors. High fisher awareness of regulations, fisher age, income and fishing experience did not appear to influence illegal take. RRT is a powerful tool which can aid conservation managers in prioritizing action.

Keywords

conservation actionillegal fishingnon-compliancepriority settingrandomized response technique (RRT)red abalone (Haliotis rufescens)
Type
Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 36 , Issue 2 , June 2009 , pp. 112 - 119
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 2009

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