Environmental History and Historical Ecology for Understanding Recreational Fishers and Fisheries

The concept of fishing primarily for leisure, personal fulilment or sport has existed for centuries. In contrast, the application of history and the use of
historical sources and approaches to understanding recreational fisheries and fisher behaviour remains an emerging area of research. This chapter explores the variety of ways in which historical sources and perspectives have been used to expand our understanding of recreational fishing, past and present. We describe how historical approaches can shed light on the origins of recreational fishing, changing patterns in recreational fishing behaviour, the drivers and outcomes of behavioural change, the extent to which recreational fishing is bound up in people’s values, identities and cultures, and how fishers have treated and viewed the natural environment, and their place within it, through time. Historical approaches help us to understand how and when the fishing activities, behaviours, values, cultures and identities we observe today were formed, and how they change across time. The chapter also surveys the range of sources that have been used to study the past ecological impacts of recreational fishing, and some of the challenges involved in this kind of research. We conclude with an overview of future opportunities for research in this area.