A Resist-Accept-Direct decision-support tool for walleye Sander vitreus (Mitchill) management in Wisconsin

Abstract

Large-scale modelling and prediction provide insight into general influences of climate change on inland recreational fisheries; however, small-scale dynamics and local expertise will be key in developing explicit goals for managing recreational fisheries as the climate changes. The resist-accept-direct (RAD) framework encompasses the entire decision space managers consider when addressing climate influences in their local system, but to decide whether to resist, accept or direct, managers need tools to understand how specific waterbodies will be influenced by climate change. Here, a decision-support tool was developed and applied to the walleye recreational fishery in Wisconsin, USA as an example of how to link the RAD framework to real-world management of a large recreational fishery. The tool and broadscale results described here, indicating a widespread shift away from resist strategies by mid-century, can be used by managers to inform decisions about whether to resist, accept, or direct for specific walleye populations.