Gender differences in participation rate, socioeconomic profile, recreational motivation, and wildlife-related value orientation among recreational fishers in Spain

Abstract

We analyse gender differences in recreational fisheries, using randomly collected data from Spain as a case study. Specifically, we contrast the participation rate, socioeconomic profile, self-determined motivations, and two wildlife-related value orientations (WVOs) among active (fished in the last 12 months) and lapsed (not fished in the last 12 months and without an intent to do so in the future) females and males participating in Spanish recreational fisheries, assessed via a nationwide telephone survey. Active participation rates in recreational fishing were significantly greater among males (21.5 % of the male population) than among females (11.7 % of the female population). Similar differences were also observed for lapsed participants. Active female recreational fishers were, on average, significantly younger (average 37 years) than their male counterparts (45 years), but other socioeconomic variables, such as residency in urban/rural settlements, income, or educational degree, did not differ. While the socioeconomic profile between active and lapsed male participants did not vary strongly, lapsed female participants in recreational fishing were older than active female participants, and had significantly lower income and degree of education. Female participants attributed significantly greater importance to engage with family than males as a motivation to recreate. Females also expressed greater importance to motives related to learning, discovering something new, and reflecting on one's identity and past good times than males. While the motivations between active and lapsed females were largely similar, the motivations between active and lapsed male participants were substantially different: active male recreational fishers placed significantly greater importance on taking risks, testing equipment, competing with others and teaching others than lapsed males. The WVOs of female and male participants in recreational fisheries were largely similar, but in lapsed fishers the mutualism score was significantly greater in females than males. Our study confirms the finding that the participation rate in recreational fishing is lower in females compared to males, and that males and females who made the decision to become active recreational fisheries share many motivations and values related to the use of wildlife and fish. That said, active female recreational fishers in Spain see fishing as a stronger contributor to family-related recreation than men.