2026-10-06T09:34:16Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/34029468 2026-09-30T04:29:10Z category_34 portal_316 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

Supplementary file 1_Carp angling: potential cultural ecosystem services and angler perceptions of a non-native species in Italy.pdf Samuele Pagani (25141290) Mattias Gaglio (4226602) Paolo Mossone (25141293) Giuseppe Castaldelli (4226608) Environmental Science carp angler’s dimension carps cultural ecosystem services freshwater management global invader species recreational fisheries socio-ecological indicators <p>Freshwater ecosystems face increasing pressures from non-native species, including Common carp (Cyprinus carpio), which is considered one of the world’s most damaging invasive species. Despite its documented ecological impacts, carp is an important target of recreational fisheries in many regions. Understanding the socio-economic and perceptual dimensions of carp fishing is therefore relevant to freshwater conservation and management. Using Italy as a nationwide case study, we investigated carp angler profiles, fishing behaviour, economic indicators, and perceptions of the ecological role of carp. An anonymous 24-question online survey yielded 911 valid responses from an estimated population of approximately 20,000 carp anglers. Factor Analysis of Mixed Data (FAMD) was used to identify gradients structuring angler profiles. Respondents were predominantly male (96.4% ± 1.2%), aged 25–45 years (60.3% ± 3.2%), with high-school education (60.8% ± 3.2%) and employed (89.7% ± 2.0%). Annual expenditure among weekly anglers averaged €5,085 ± 214. This expenditure may serve as a proxy for the potential economic value associated with the cultural ecosystem service of recreational carp fishing, although it does not constitute a full economic valuation. Most respondents (87.9% ± 2.1%) perceived carp as ecologically beneficial, contrasting with scientific evidence documenting negative effects on water quality, benthic communities, and native biodiversity. FAMD identified two main gradients: one distinguishing high-effort specialists fishing in lentic habitats from more opportunistic anglers in lotic systems, and another reflecting demographic and educational differences. Perceived ecological role showed only weak associations with fishing effort, indicating limited correspondence between species perception and behavioural investment. The results illustrate a socio-ecological paradox in which a non-native species can simultaneously generate cultural ecosystem services while exerting ecological impacts. The expenditure indicator captures a potential component of the cultural ecosystem service associated with carp fishing but does not account for ecosystem disservices linked to carp populations or their spread. These findings highlight the importance of considering recreational benefits and stakeholder perceptions alongside ecological impacts when addressing the management of non-native carp populations.</p> 2026-09-30T04:29:10Z Dataset Dataset 10.3389/fenvs.2026.1951159.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Supplementary_file_1_Carp_angling_potential_cultural_ecosystem_services_and_angler_perceptions_of_a_non-native_species_in_Italy_pdf/34029468 CC BY 4.0