The Giant Catchers – The Importance of Recreational Anglers in Providing Insight into the Protected Giant Goby, Gobius Cobitis, in UK Waters

Le résumé fourni par la source

The giant goby (Gobius cobitis), Britain’s largest goby, inhabits upper-shore tide pools of southwest England. Due to its limited range, habitat vulnerability, and suspected decline, it is fully protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Its cryptic nature, environmental sensitivity, and legal protections limit monitoring, creating uncertainty in distribution and abundance estimates. This study explored the potential of recreational sea anglers as a data source. A search of public-access angling Facebook groups (August 2018–July 2025) yielded 33 records, mostly with photographs enabling species confirmation. Catches occurred across the English Channel coast, with one from Jersey. Barriers to reporting included identification difficulties and concerns over legislation. Anglers’ measurements could support weight–length keys and the application of Fulton’s K condition factor to assess condition trends. Social media records likely underrepresent true catches, but engaging anglers, providing identification guides, and establishing a central reporting system could improve monitoring of G. cobitis and serve as a model for other cryptic, protected species.

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