Institutional analysis of fish stocking decision-making in German recreational angling organizations

MSc thesis

The release of wild and hatchery-reared organisms into natural and semi-natural water bodies (fish stocking) for enhancement, mitigation of human-induced perturbations, conservation and restoration/rebuilding purposes is one of the most widespread management tools to maintain fish stocks in freshwaters. At the same time it is one of the most controversially discussed practices in the pertinent literature: e.g., debating different stocking objectives, its effectiveness and possible adverse effects on wild stocks, as well as its potential to cause various conflicts either within the angling community or with other stakeholders of water resources. There is still a great scientific gap on which factors influence stocking decision-making processes and why it is so widely pursued by the angling community. In order to better understand the dynamics in fish stocking-decision making in German Recreational Fisheries this study aimed at conducting an institutional analysis based on the Institutions of Sustainability (IoS) framework. This integrative framework allowed a structured approach to dissect the stocking decision-making process on four conceptual levels: governance structures, institutions, properties of nature-related transactions, and actors. This empirical study is based on the qualitative analysis of 38 semi-structured club-interviews and three association-interviews conducted between March 2008 and May 2009. The study identified four prototypical governance structures in German Recreational Fisheries. Further specific objectives of fish-stocking measures were identified leading to the construction of an objectives framework, which displays managers’ priorities and mirrors anglers’ interests. Properties of nature related transactions, namely uncertainty, risk, rivalry and perceived scarcity were found to greatly impact on the decision-making process. The manifold properties were mostly operationalized in the form of risk and uncertainty. Several risk and uncertainty factors greatly impacted on stocking decisions.

Ott, E. (2015). Institutional analysis of fish stocking decision-making in German recreational angling organizations. Master Thesis, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin / Leibniz-Institut für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei (IGB) in Berlin


Published : 2015
Appeared in : Master Thesis, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin / Leibniz-Institut für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei (IGB) in Berlin