Number of fish encountered at the same time.

<p>Compressor divers and freedivers encountered mostly single fish. One third of encounters were with two or more fish.</p

Parameter estimates (in odds), confidence intervals, and p values for the fixed effects (fish traits only) in the fisher targeting decision model when only one fish was encountered.

<p>Coefficients were transformed from log-odds to odds by exponentiating the original estimates.</p

Variables pertaining to encounters with multiple fish.

<p>Variables pertaining to encounters with multiple fish.</p

Handling time.

<p>The time required to pursue and capture a fish, i.e. ‘handling time,’ varied by fishing method. Points are individual fish captures; boxplots show the median, first and third quartiles, and 1.5 times the inter-quartile range.</p

Fish attributes assigned to each fish observed in the fishing videos.

<p>Variable Type refers to the way each variable was included in statistical models of fishers’ selection decisions.</p

Understanding spearfishing in a coral reef fishery: Fishers’ opportunities, constraints, and decision-making

<div><p>Social and ecological systems come together during the act of fishing. However, we often lack a deep understanding of the fishing process, despite its importance for understanding and managing fisheries. A quantitative, mechanistic understanding of the opportunities fishers encounter, the constraints they face, and how they make decisions within the context of opportunities and constraints will enhance the design of fisheries management strategies to meet linked ecological and social objectives and will improve scientific capacity to predict impacts of different strategies. We examined the case of spearfishing in a Caribbean coral reef fishery. We mounted cameras on fishers’ spearguns to observe the fish they encountered, what limited their ability to catch fish, and how they made decisions about which fish to target. We observed spearfishers who dove with and without the assistance of compressed air, and compared the fishing process of each method using content analysis of videos and decision models of fishers’ targeting selections. Compressor divers encountered more fish, took less time to catch each fish, and had a higher rate of successful pursuits. We also analyzed differences among taxa in this multispecies fishery, because some taxa are known to be ecologically or economically more valuable than others. Parrotfish are ecologically indispensable for healthy coral reefs, and they were encountered and captured more frequently than any other taxon. Fishers made decisions about which fish to target based on a fish’s market value, proximity to the fisher, and taxon. The information uncovered on fishers’ opportunities, constraints, and decision making has implications for managing this fishery and others. Moreover, it demonstrates the value of pursuing an improved understanding of the fishing process from the perspective of the fishers.</p></div

The expected market value of a fish is calculated as the price per pound multiplied by median weight.

<p>The expected market value of a fish is calculated as the price per pound multiplied by median weight.</p

Fish captured.

<p>Capture rates varied by taxon (a) and market class (b), as well as between the two gear types. Points represent the capture rates from individual videos, dark gray symbols are the means, and error bars are 95% confidence intervals.</p

Heuristic of the context of spearfishing.

<p>The fish available to fishers are a subset of the entire stock, limited by which fish they actually encounter, and further limited by constraints on the fishers’ ability to catch them.</p

Fish encountered.

<p>Encounters with fish varied by taxon (a) and market class (b) as well as between the two gear types. Points represent the encounter rates from individual videos, dark gray symbols are the means, and error bars are 95% confidence intervals.</p