Abstract

Recreational highly migratory species (HMS) fisheries can achieve long-term sustainable growth through domestic and international tourism. Despite the economic opportunities provided by recreational HMS fishing, socioeconomic impacts have generally been understudied. This report provides a baseline for the economic importance of recreational HMS fishing in Colombia. Data were gathered for this report through detailed surveys distributed to recreational anglers in Colombia in the fall of 2012. Survey responses were analyzed and compared to the results from a simi-lar study performed by The Billfish Foundation (TBF) in the Northern Caribbean. Findings show that Colombian an-glers are willing to spend a considerable amount of money to pursue sport fish species, and that many opportunities are available to expand not only the current recreational fishing industry, but also the conservation efforts surrounding that industry. By expounding upon these results, this report offers insight to recreational HMS fisheries managers who must tackle significant challenges in developing effective regional management strategies. The ultimate goal of this report aligns with TBF?s mission to improve the standing of recreational fishing and associated tourism industries as an econom-ic priority.

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