Online evidence suggests that there has been an increase in interest of using unmanned aerial vehicles or drones during land-based marine recreational fishing. In the absence of reliable monitoring programs, this study used unconventional publicly available online monitoring methodologies to estimate the growing interest, global extent, catch composition and governance of this practice. Results indicated a 357% spike in interest during 2016 primarily in New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. From an ecological perspective, many species targeted by drone fishers are vulnerable to overexploitation, while released fishes may experience heightened stress and mortality. From a social perspective, the ethics of drone fishing are being increasingly questioned by many recreational anglers and we forecast the potential for increased conflict with other beach users. In terms of governance, no resource use legislation specifically directed at recreational drone fishing was found. These findings suggest that drone fishing warrants prioritised research and management consideration.

在线证据表明，在陆基海上休闲捕鱼期间使用无人驾驶飞行器或无人驾驶飞机的兴趣有所增加。在缺乏可靠监测计划的情况下，本研究使用非常规的公开可用在线监测方法来估计这种做法的日益增长的兴趣、全球范围、渔获构成和治理。结果表明，2016 年主要在新西兰、南非和澳大利亚的兴趣激增了 357%。从生态学的角度来看，无人机捕鱼者瞄准的许多物种容易受到过度捕捞，而释放的鱼类可能会承受更高的压力和死亡率。从社会角度来说，许多休闲垂钓者越来越质疑无人机捕鱼的道德规范，我们预测与其他海滩用户的冲突可能会增加。在治理方面，没有发现专门针对休闲无人机捕鱼的资源使用立法。这些发现表明，无人机捕鱼值得优先研究和管理考虑。