National survey among anglers in Belgium: towards the first awareness raising campaign on biosecurity

Aquatic ecosystems are one of the most impacted ecosystems by biological invasions. Potential invasion pressure of the species already present in freshwater systems in Belgium is particularly high. Since eradication or long-term management of invasive species in these systems is challenging if not impossible, preventing new introductions and spread of species already present is crucial. Therefore, it is paramount to convince water users to adopt biosecurity measures to prevent the unintentional transportation of propagules of IAS while performing their hobby or professional activity. To develop a biosecurity campaign for Belgian anglers, a national online survey for anglers was organized during the spring of 2023. The aim of this survey was manyfold: gain a better understanding of angler information channels, angler mobility and angling frequency, assess current routines of equipment maintenance and bait disposal and also assess anglers’ awareness and perception on the issue of biological invasions. Results indicated that there is a real risk that anglers can introduce IAS in uninvaded systems either by unintentionally moving organisms around by changing locations during one trip (one fourth of anglers) or by bringing them back from abroad (45% of anglers). This is especially true since only 7% of anglers adhere to the full check-clean-dry routine after each trip. Additionally, sometimes anglers indicated to move undesired species to another location. However, respondents’ perception on IAS was rather negative, with anglers citing them amongst the five main threats for angling indicating they could be concerned allies in the fight against IAS. The results of the survey will inform our future work with the angling community in Belgium to design adequate messages, efficiently reach the target audience and assess if the campaign had an influence on angler habits and awareness. Keywords Awareness; Check Clean Dry; Prevention

Abstract of an Oral Presentation or a Poster

aquatic invasive species, Invasive species