Recreational fishers' perceptions and behaviour towards cultural ecosystem services in response to the Nerbioi estuary ecosystem restoration

Abstract

Well-functioning ecosystems hold high values of biodiversity and provide a wide range of ecosystem services. In 25 years, Nerbioi-Ibaizabal estuary (North Spain) has changed from a highly polluted estuary to one with a moderate/good ecological status, mainly due to the construction of a Waste Water Treatment Plant that has operated in the estuary since 1990. In recent decades, recorded biotic and abiotic parameters show a clear ecological improvement, but the concurrent response of cultural ecosystem services (e.g. recreational fishing) remains unexplored. Recreational fishers' fishing behaviour and perceptions over environmental changes were obtained through a questionnaire and compared with recorded parameters of improvement. Results show a positive correlation between the abiotic ecological recovery and fishers' behaviour. However, fishers' perceptions on the biotic recovery (e.g. fish abundance) were more negative than those recorded. Despite this, fishers are satisfied with the overall experience of fishing and will probably continue fishing in the estuary. In conclusion, in better functioning estuaries the capacity to deliver cultural services (e.g. recreational fishing) increases. However, getting ecosystem services to the level of appreciation of society requires to be much better communicated.