PhD Project
The project aims to investigate the social-psychological and contextual factors that influence fisheries management decisions in German freshwater recreational fisheries, with a specific focus on fish stocking. Germany offers a unique model due to its private fishing rights system, where local angling clubs hold the responsibility for managing fisheries. These clubs often make key decisions on habitat improvement, harvest regulation, and especially fish stocking actions that can be considered pro-environmental if motivated by conservation intentions.
The research focuses on the following areas:
- Recreational fishing as a consumptive outdoor activity and aquatic stewardship.
- The psychological and contextual factors influencing fisheries management behaviours.
- The variations in stocking support decisions across different angler communities.
The project is interdisciplinary; it applies several theoretical frameworks and models, including:
- Social-ecological systems framework of Ostrom (2009)
- Social-psychology of pro-environmental behaviours
Water
