title: Fishing, fish consumption and advisory awareness among Louisiana's recreational fishers.
abstract: This paper presents results from the first known population-based survey of recreational fishers in Louisiana (n=1774). The ultimate goal of this study was to obtain data in support of the development of regional advisories for a high exposure population with unique seafood consumption patterns. Between July and August of 2008, a survey was mailed to a random sample of licensed recreational fishers to characterize local fishing habits, sportfish consumption, and advisory awareness. Eighty-eight percent of respondents reported eating sportfish. Respondents ate an estimated mean of four fish meals per month, of which, approximately half were sportfish. Over half of all sportfish meals (54%) were caught in the Gulf of Mexico or bordering brackish areas. Sportfish consumption varied by license and gender; and was highest among Sportsman's Paradise license holders (2.8±0.2 meals per month), and males (2.2±0.1 meals per month). The most frequently consumed sportfish species were red drum, speckled trout, catfish, bass, crappie and bream. Advisory awareness rates varied by gender, ethnicity, geographic area, license type, age and education; and were lowest among women (53%), African-Americans (43%), fishers from the southeast of Louisiana (50%), holders of Senior Hunting and Fishing licenses (51%), individuals between 15 and 19 years of age (41%), and individuals with less than a high school education (43%). Results were used to identify ways to optimize monitoring, advisory development and outreach activities.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Science and Engineering Program, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States. adrienne.katner@la.gov
authors.forename: Adrienne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katner
authors.forename: Ebenezer
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ogunyinka
authors.forename: Mei-Hung
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soileau
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lavergne
authors.forename: Dianne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dugas
authors.forename: Mel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suffet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001364:Awareness; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D008145:Louisiana; D011998:Recreation; D017747:Seafood