When Marine Institute’s Dr. Matthew Robertson set out to examine how recreational fishing is counted in the United States, he uncovered something far bigger than a data problem.

Dr. Robertson’s research has revealed evidence that millions more fish are being caught and harvested than official estimates suggest, with major implications for sustainability, food security and how we understand the true pressure on freshwater ecosystems.

His newly published paper in Fisheries, the journal of the American Fisheries Society, positions the Newfoundland‑based researcher at the centre of an international conversation about the hidden scale of recreational fishing.

“Recreational fishing is one of the most widespread outdoor activities in the world, but we still struggle to understand its true scale,” said Dr. Robertson. “By combining information from smaller scale monitoring programs into a continental scale analysis, our research shows a larger and more complete picture of fishing effort and harvest than has been previously possible.”

“Our findings have real implications for how we think about sustainability and long‑term ecosystem health.”

The study, co‑authored with U.S. collaborators, examined long‑term data from fisheries management agencies throughout the U.S.

Dr. Robertson says the findings highlight a global challenge: While recreational fishing is enormously popular, it’s challenging to measure across large scales.

And though the study focuses on the United States, Dr. Robertson says the broader lessons apply to many regions, including Newfoundland and Labrador.

“Many regions face the same core challenge - recreational fishing is culturally and economically important, widely practiced and difficult to quantify,” he said. “Understanding the true scale of participation helps us make better decisions about conservation and resource management.”

Dr. Robertson’s research is now available through Fisheries at Oxford Academic, with an associated article published in The Conversation.