Recreational fisheries pressure in the Polish waters of the Vistula Lagoon and considerations of its potential impact on the development of regional tourism

Abstract The aim of this paper is to present the recreational fisheries on the Vistula Lagoon and their potential impact on the development of regional tourism. Questionnaires were used to collect information during investigations conducted in the 2012-2015 period. Additional information on the topic of angling tourism was obtained by conducting interviews with recreational fishers and with the owners of angling shops. The numbers of angling permits issued was also analyzed. This analysis indicated growing interest in recreational fisheries in the Vistula Lagoon, where anglers caught primarily perch, Perca fluviatilis L., and pikeperch, Sander lucioperca (L). The recreational fishers surveyed resided mainly in areas near the Vistula Lagoon. The mean distance between their homes and the fishing grounds was 30.5 km (min-max: 0.1-757 km). SWOT analysis indicated that recreational fisheries in the Vistula Lagoon could be a stimulatory factor for the development of tourism in the region.