Recreational Fishing as a Tourism Event and the Potential of Turkey (original) (raw)

Due to technological developments, decrease in working hours and increase in people's leisure time, increase in education and their income levels have increased demand for recreational activities (Mansuroğlu, 2002). People could have the chance to realize their potential, to use their creativity, and thus to meet the need for selffulfillment at the top of the hierarchy of needs because of recreational activities (Sevil, 2012). Recreational activities eliminate physical and mental tiredness of people and give them physical, spiritual and creative power (Sağcan, 1986). Fish hunting that could not go beyond “collection from the nature” which was the simplest form of production in pre-historic times (Çelikkale et al., 1993), has become one of the popular recreational activities of the 21st century. Recreational fishing is defined as hunting of seafood (usually fish), not to meet basic nutritional needs and not to carry a local and exportoriented commercial purpose (FAO, 2012). Recreational angling meets a variety of basic needs, including recreation (form of outdoor leisure), consumption (way of getting healthy food) and sport (can be competition based) (Wolos, 2006). In addition, recreational fishing provides extremely positive values for the society (Norling 2003). These activities have a positive, preventive and curative effect on physical discomfort and stress-related diseases. In addition to this, recreational fishing is an excellent activity that can be shared with friends and family and is sustainable for life. (Eriksson, 2008). As expressed by Hinckley (1998), in many developed countries, recreational fishing has a significant economic impact on most of the domestic and coastal waters. About a ten percent of the population in these countries regularly engages in recreational fishing, and provides social, economic and ecological benefits for the society. Recreational angling activities have an important economic potential as a touristic activity with the effect of positively contributing to the increase and distribution of tourism revenues within the geographical possibilities of the region or country.