STATUS OF HUMAN DIMENSIONS SURVEYS SPONSORED BY STATE AND PROVINCIAL FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AGENCIES IN NORTH-AMERICA

Fisheries managers increasingly are aware of the need to incorporate h uman dimensions information into decision making. To gather such infor mation, many agencies conduct angler surveys using a variety of approa ches. In 1994, we conducted a mail survey to assess the status of huma n dimensions studies (not including creel surveys) conducted by state, territorial, and provincial fishery mana ment agencies. Questionnaire s were sent to the heads of 69 fishery agencies with the request that they be completed by the agency's human dimensions contact person. Fif ty-nine surveys were returned for a response rate of 86%, Most (81%) s urvey respondents reported their agency had conducted at least 1 provi ncewide or statewide survey of anglers; 66% had completed a survey wit hin the past 5 years. Most (53%) agencies used mail surveys. Survey sa mple sizes (range = 300-20,000) and costs (range = US$300-$150,000) va ried widely depending on the type of survey conducted; eighty percent were paid for by a combination of state (or provincial) and federal fu nds. Most respondents (> 50%) reported that their agencies attached gr eater importance to human dimensions information such as angler suppor t of regulations, angler attitudes and opinions, angler satisfaction, and economic information, but < 50% viewed public opinion, anglers' mo tives for fishing, market segmentation, and angler demographics as imp ortant. Our results provide a baseline by which future progress in hum an dimensions research and application can be measured.