Institute for Evaluation and Social Analyses

Inland recreational fishing is primarily considered a leisure-driven activity in freshwaters, yet its harvest can contribute to food systems. Here we estimate that the harvest from inland recreational fishing equates to just over one-tenth of all reported inland fisheries catch globally. The estimated total consumptive use value of inland recreational fish destined for human consumption may reach US$9.95 billion annually. We identify Austria, Canada, Germany and Slovakia as countries above the third quantile for nutrition, economic value and climate vulnerability. These results have important implications for populations dependent on inland recreational fishing for food. Our findings can inform climate adaptation planning for inland recreational fisheries, particularly those not currently managed as food fisheries.

Civic engagement plays a critical role in smart city innovation and urban development by encouraging active participation in civic activities such as volunteering, voting, community organizing , or advocacy, all of which contribute to the development of local communities. This study highlights the need to assess civic engagement in smart cities in order to improve the interactions between technology and society. The study assessed the reliability and validity of the Civic Engagement Scale (CES) in the Czech context. The results presented are based on a representative sample of 1366 respondents from the general population aged 15-74. The study included univariate statistics, tests of internal consistency, and principal component analysis. In addition, the study presents the results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) that was conducted to examine the fit of the proposed model to empirical data. The results indicate that the CES has excellent psychometric properties, including high internal consistency and favorable absolute and incremental indices. The Czech version of the CES can be considered a valid and reliable instrument. The findings suggest using CES to research and evaluate policy interventions aimed at developing digital platforms that enable citizens to easily participate in urban planning and smart city projects, community-driven smart city projects that ensure local needs and preferences are addressed, or implementing incentive programs for citizens.

System justification (SJ) is an important construct in social psychology that has received considerable attention over the past three decades. At the empirical level, system justification is examined by means of a specially developed System Justification Scale (SJS), which is designed to explain how individuals accept justice, whether they consider a given social order to be fair, how they evaluate the conditions in the country in which they live, how they accept social change, or to what extent they express compliance with established rules. System justification involves not only those who benefit from the existing social order, but also those who are disadvantaged. In their case, system justification mitigates negative perceptions of objective inequalities and asymmetries. Empirical evidence suggests that system justification may also be associated with higher perceived quality of life. The present study translated and validated the SJS, providing complex and detailed information on the psychometric properties of the scale. In addition, the scale's internal consistency, unidimensionality, and construct validity were examined. The conclusions presented are based on the results of exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency assessment, analysis of variance, correlation analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. Results were obtained from face-to-face survey data collected from a sample of 1419 individuals representing the Czech population aged 18-79 years. Since the SJS showed high internal consistency, adequately discriminated levels of system justification, and had robust psychometric properties, it could be recommended for further use.

Frugality is an important psychological trait that is currently of interest as a research construct in a range of fields, from consumer behavior to financial literacy and financial well-being. Increasingly, the concept of frugality is also being linked to environmental responsibility and behavior, as the core of frugality is the reduction or minimization of resources used and consumed, an emphasis on the long-term use of purchased products, and an overall conservation of resources. For many years, researchers have used the Frugality Scale (FS), the specific research tool introduced to measure frugality in a standardized and valid way. The aim of the study was to examine the psychometric properties of FS translated into the Czech language, to evaluate the uni-dimensionality of the construct, and to analyze associations with relevant variables documenting respondents' attitudes and behavior. For this purpose, the research based on face-to-face interviews among respondents representing the 15-74 years old population of Czechia was conducted. The obtained results showed that the previously developed FS achieved very good results in the Czech environment, where the obtained scores supported the hypothesized uni-dimensional structure of the scale. The CFA results show that the tested model fits well with empirical data. Convergent and construct validity is also shown to be high. Therefore, the Czech version of the Frugality Scale can be considered a reliable and valid instrument that is recommended for further use. By utilizing the FS, researchers and practitioners gain access to a robust tool for quantifying frugality and comprehending its pertinent aspects across diverse contexts.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant changes to people's lives, causing high levels of anxiety, distress, and fear. In response, the "Fear of COVID-19" scale (FCV-19S) was developed in 2020 to measure the severity of fears related to COVID-19. This study assessed the psychome-tric properties of the Czech version of the FCV-19S, which was administered to a representative sample of 1372 participants, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted. The sample reflects the structure of a theoretical population aged 15-74 years and is composed of 50% males and 50% females. Moreover, univariate statistics were calculated, internal consistency was tested, and uni-dimensionality based on principal component analysis was performed. In addition, univariate statistical analyses were performed, internal consistency was tested, and univariate consistency was also assessed using principal component analysis. CFA indicated that the scale demonstrated very good standard indices; FCV-19S showed a high level of internal consistency, and it adequately differentiated the levels of fear among diverse subpopulations. The findings suggest that the Czech version of the FCV-19S is a valid and reliable instrument that has robust psychometric properties and can, therefore, be recommended for use in research. The availability of the Czech version of the FCV-19S will contribute to assessments of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Czech population, providing valuable information in guiding interventions aimed at reducing the negative psychological impacts of the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of maintaining good health. It became has become apparent that health consciousness is a crucial factor in promoting healthy lifestyles, disease prevention, and the overall well-being of individuals. A higher level of health consciousness is associated with healthy habits, better adherence to medical recommendations, and a higher quality of life. Therefore, health consciousness is a critical construct in health care that reflects the degree to which individuals care about their health. This study, which is based on a representative sample of the adult population (n = 1372), aims to validate the Health Consciousness Scale (HCS) to assess its reliability and validity, and evaluate the factor structure of the translated version of the scale in the Czech language. The validation of the HCS in the Czech context is a significant step forward and provides useful information for healthcare professionals, policymakers, and researchers. The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of health consciousness in the Czech population and provide unique information for the development and evaluation of health interventions aimed at promoting healthy behaviors and attitudes.

The Czech Republic has a long tradition of pond production and recreational fisheries. Today, the Czech fisheries sector has two main pillars: (1) production of common carp Cyprinus carpio in semi-extensive pond culture, and (2) rod-based recreational angling of approximately 350,000 people (3 % of Czech population). The production of carp supplies fish protein mainly for the local population, but the Czech Republic is also Europe´s most important exporter of carp meat. A mandatory national licence and reporting system in recreational fisheries has been effective since the 1950s. Anglers purchase a fishing license, and the proceeds are used mainly to stock fish and maintain ecosystems for native fish species. Recreational angling and fish stocking is focused on non-native species – common carp and rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. Here, I present a short review of pond culture, aquaculture, commercial fisheries, and recreational fisheries, with examples of history, status, management, and regulations.

The measures that were taken in many countries as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic not only brought about new stimuli in the lives of individuals, but also gave rise to various restrictions that led to discontinuities in many aspects of daily life. Therefore, the development of a sound measure for monitoring the level of perceived daily life disruption is important. The Perceived Daily Life Disruption (PDLD) scale is proposed and its initial validation based on the assessment of key psychometric properties is targeted in this study. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the PDLD scale was conducted on a representative sample (n = 1372). In addition, univariate statistics were calculated, internal consistency was tested, and unidimensionality based on principal component analysis was performed. The CFA yielded satisfactory results concerning the standard indices and achieved a high internal consistency. It was observed that the scale adequately differentiates the level of perceived daily life disruption among diverse subpopulations. Usage of the PDLD scale can be recommended; it is easy to administer and it yields acceptable results.

The need to assess reasons why households do not want to conserve water or use purified water is critical when facing water scarcity during the climate change crisis. This study aimed to provide an analysis of perceptions of the public in Czechia towards water conservation. A representative questionnaire survey (n = 1824) was conducted in the whole Czech Republic to see why households hesitate to conserve water and use purified water. We discovered that most household owners are interested in conserving water and some of them are interested in using purified water. The household owners are willing to conserve water if it does not cost them too much time or comfort. They are mostly willing to think about using purified water for purposes that are hygienically safe. They mostly trust people and public figures that are closest to them, and they consume media like television and the Internet. We recommend that any communication campaign aiming to persuade households to conserve water and use purified water should explain how to effectively conserve water in households. It should also explain that using purified water in households is not unhygienic and is almost completely safe.

Inland recreational fisheries, found in lakes, rivers, and other landlocked waters, are important to livelihoods, nutrition, leisure, and other societal ecosystem services worldwide. Although recreationally-caught fish are frequently harvested and consumed by fishers, their contribution to food and nutrition has not been adequately quantified due to lack of data, poor monitoring, and under-reporting, especially in developing countries. Beyond limited global harvest estimates, few have explored species-specific harvest patterns, although this variability has implications for fisheries management and food security. Given the continued growth of the recreational fishery sector, understanding inland recreational fish harvest and consumption rates represents a critical knowledge gap. Based on a comprehensive literature search and expert knowledge review, we quantified multiple aspects of global inland recreational fisheries for 81 countries spanning ~192 species. For each country, we assembled recreational fishing participation rate and estimated species-specific harvest and consumption rate. This dataset provides a foundation for future assessments, including understanding nutritional and economic contributions of inland recreational fisheries.

The crucian carp (Carassius carassius, L.) and the brown trout (Salmo trutta, L.) are vanishing from freshwater ecosystems of central Europe. To conserve both species, tailor-made conservation management of habitats and populations of both species was implemented and tested in the Czech Republic (central Europe). This management was adjusted to reflect the ecological needs of both species. This study aimed to describe the results of a tested in-situ management and to analyze population growth of brown trout and crucian carp under ideal conditions. An experiment was performed at 14 small gravel pit lakes. Seven of them were adjusted to fit the crucian carp habitat requirements while the other seven were treated as a control group. The same experiment was done on 14 smaller streams and with brown trout. The occurrence and growth of crucian carp and brown trout were surveyed over two years. A significantly faster growth of both crucian carp and brown trout was observed on the adjusted lakes and streams in comparison to the control group ones. Trout and carp prospered on small streams and gravel pit lakes (respectively) that were free of angling, fish stocking, pollution, piscivorous predators, and competition with hybridizing species like Prussian carp (Carassius auratus, L.) or hatchery-reared brown trout.

The Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo is a widespread piscivorous waterbird. The competition for resources between recreational anglers and Cormorants has been causing serious conflicts between sport fisheries and environmentalists. This study aimed to compare fish catches by Cormorants and by recreational anglers in the upper Elbe River in Central Europe (Czech Republic). Cormorant diet was studied using regurgitated pellets, and catches of anglers were obtained from annual angling reports. Altogether 1478 Cormorant pellets were collected from which 6903 fish were measured and identified to species level. A total of 93,413 fish caught by anglers were identified to species level. Cormorant diet consisted of 24 fish species in six fish families. Cormorants caught smaller-sized fish (median mass 90 g) compared to fish caught by anglers (median mass 1700 g). The majority of fish caught by Cormorants were under the minimum legal catchable size for anglers. Species of moderate interest to anglers (mainly Roach Rutilus rutilus) dominated in Cormorant diets while Common Carp Cyprinus carpio dominated in catches of anglers. In conclusion, the direct competition for fish between anglers and Cormorants appeared low. However, as Cormorants consumed small fish that serve as prey for piscivorous fish species and that could potentially grow into legally sized fish for angling purposes, this still allows for indirect competition between Cormorants and sport fisheries.

Inland recreational fisheries provide numerous socio-economic benefits to fishers, families and communities. Recreationally harvested fish are also frequently consumed and may provide affordable and sustainable but undervalued contributions to human nutrition. Quantifying the degree to which recreationally harvested fish contribute to food security and subsistence is impeded by lack of data on harvest and consumption and by the difficulty in differentiating among recreational and subsistence fisheries. Recreational harvest records tend to be limited to wealthy, food-secure countries and well-monitored fisheries with clear regulations or permitting systems. These records often neglect components of recreational harvest among food-insecure fishers who are potentially more likely to have consumption as a motivation. Here, we highlight the ‘fuzzy boundary’ that can exist between inland recreational and subsistence fisheries and argue that unreported consumption is likely to be a hidden contributor to food security in some populations. We draw on local case studies from around the world to highlight specific instances where recreationally harvested fish species contribute food and subsistence benefits to participating communities. We use these examples to highlight the diversity of ways that inland recreational fisheries contribute to human nutrition, knowledge gaps in understanding recreational fishing for food, and consequences of not accounting for them as food fisheries in policy and management. The aim of this paper is to draw the attention of resource managers and policy makers, create greater social awareness of the importance of recreational fisheries and bring to light this hidden contribution of inland fisheries to nutrition and subsistence.

The size of an ecosystem affects ecological interactions, but less is known about how ecosystem size may affect social interactions. We posit that ecosystem size could serve as a basis for understanding and contextualizing social interactions, connecting how ecosystem size influences natural resource investment decisions and the use of ecosystem services. We leverage international (Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, United States of America) inland recreational fishery data to explore whether certain ecosystem sizes receive a disproportionate amount of fish stocked (a measure of resource investment) and attract more angler effort-our measure of an ecosystem service. We find that smaller lentic waterbodies receive a disproportionate amount of fish stocked per area and also attract more angler effort per area consistently in all four countries. Therefore, we find that resource use and resource investment is matched by ecosystem size. We conclude that small waterbodies are prioritized by both managers and users and contribute more (per area) to recreational fisheries compared to large and more visible waterbodies on the landscape. An increasing focus on smaller-sized lakes and rivers, also those anthropogenically created, in science, assessment, and management is warranted.

Intensive multi-species fish stocking management is a popular yield enhancement tool that supposedly leads to elevated yields in recreational angling. This study aimed to analyze the relationships between fisheries management of an apex predator and its putative prey. The GAM (generalized additive model) was used to analyze the relationships between the yields and the stocking intensities of European catfish and non-native fish species. The fish yields and stocking intensities were obtained from mandatory angling logbooks collected from 38,000 individual recreational anglers by the Czech Fishing Union on 176 fishing sites during the years 2005–2017 in central Bohemia and Prague (the Czech Republic). Our results show that the stocking intensities of the targeted species positively correlated to their yields. However, intensive catfish stocking negatively correlated to the yields of the non-native fishes. Other factors that were strongly correlated to the yields include the angling effort, size of a fishery, and yield of catfish. In conclusion, a significant relationship is found between the fisheries management of a predator and its putative prey. The results suggest that catfish should not be intensively stocked in the same rivers as non-native fishes.

The brown trout Salmo trutta is a fish species that is vulnerable to climate change and anthropogenic activities in its native range. The case studies of successful restoration of brown trout populations are rare. In this study, fishery managers who successfully restored brown trout populations are sharing their know-how and advice about their conservation strategy. Overall, twenty fishery managers were interviewed to give advice about their successful conservation practices of local brown trout populations. Using a qualitative analysis method, ten main recommendations were extracted: (1) assess the status of local brown trout populations, (2) form a union of fisheries managers and work together, (3) support the ability of the streams to retain water, (4) prevent artificial removal of water from the salmonid streams, (5) adjust the brown trout stocking strategy to individual streams, (6) set strict protection of native wild brown trout populations, (7) enforce angling bans and regulations, (8) support the rearing of brown trout in the aquaculture sector, (9) limit brown trout stocking to genetically native fish, and (10) stock smaller 0 + brown trout instead of large adult ones. In conclusion, the fishery managers agreed on the basic management steps that need to be made to conserve brown trout populations.

The European eel Anguilla anguilla is a critically endangered catadromous migratory fish species. To conserve eel populations, angling restrictions and stocking activities are often used. This paper aimed to analyze the effect of an increased minimum legal angling size, eel stocking, fishing effort, and important environmental and biological factors on eel yield. This study used data on eel stocking and yield collected by the Czech Fishing Union using angling logbooks. Data regarding 41 tons of harvested eels were collected on 176 fishing sites from 38,000 anglers over the years 2005-2018 in central Bohemia and Prague (the Czech Republic). Eel made up only 0.006% of the overall fish harvest by biomass. It was found that the increased minimum legal angling size led to decreased yield of eel and to a decreased percentage of eel in the overall fish harvested. It also led to larger harvested eels, while the number of fishing sites where anglers harvested eels stayed constant over time. The eel yield was strongly correlated to the angling effort but not to the eel stocking intensity or the environmental and biological factors. In conclusion, implementing the minimum legal angling size did achieve its goal, because it led to decreased eel yield.

This study summarizes the recommendations regarding how to set a recreational angling reporting system where over 99% of the anglers report their harvested fish and their fishing visits. We conducted 40 in-depth interviews with anglers and managers of fisheries, where we asked about the reporting of harvested fish and fishing visits and about compliance with reporting and fishing rules. We achieved the high reporting rate by implementing a mandatory reporting system using angling logbooks, where anglers must write down all harvested fish and all fishing visits. The anglers must return the filled in angling logbooks to continue angling legally. The compliance of anglers with the fishing rules is enforced through field inspections by angling guards. The Czech Fishing Union explains the reasoning behind the fishing rules through local angling organisations where the fishery managers know the anglers personally, arguing that if the anglers do not comply with the angling rules, there will be no fish left to catch in the future. Keeping anglers informed regarding any changes to angling rules is critical for maintaining trust. The effective reporting system requires mandatory angling logbooks, but the communication between the Fishing Union and their anglers is essential to ensure that anglers comply with the system.

Due to the recent attempts to divide Czech society based on the antagonism between Prague and the countryside, this study researches some of the aspects of this division—basic human values and the national identity of the inhabitants of Prague. These very basic level sources of the antagonism are researched via a combination of ISSP (National identity III module) and ESS (Round 8) surveys and two focus groups with Prague inhabitants. The results show that there are no real, or wrongly interpreted, differences between Praguers and people in the countryside with respect to both basic human values and Czech national identity. Regarding the basic human values of the two groups, only the conservation value dimension is stronger outside Prague. However, this value dimension is inherently ambiguous because its value of security is stronger within Prague, which is in contrast to values of conformity and tradition that are stronger outside Prague. In addition to this, conservation is still the stronger dimension within Prague compared with the openness to change value dimension. Praguers are rather compelled to be open and they are capable of adapting, even if their values are more conservative. The same values prevail among people within and outside Prague, which has been confirmed in the focus groups. There are also more similarities between the two groups in their national identities, e.g., when they are less nationalistic than patriotic. Both groups are of similar strength for patriotism and nationalism. The sources of national pride among the two groups are very similar and Praguers are those who can be labeled as being prouder in a few of the aspects of the Czech nation. The division between Praguers and non-Praguers seems to be rather artificial and based on inaccurate perceptions and/or interpretations.

The European catfish Silurus glanis (Linnaeus, 1758) is an expanding apex piscivorous predator whose predation may drive fish harvest rates and fish populations. This study aimed to analyze the relationships between intensive catfish stocking/harvesting and harvest rates of putative catfish prey–three rheophilic fish species: vimba bream Vimba vimba, nase Chondrostoma nasus, and barbel Barbus barbus (Linnaeus, 1758). The GAM (generalized additive model) was used to analyze the relationships between the harvest rate and the stocking intensity rate of the catfish and the three rheophilic fish species. The harvest rates and stocking intensity rates were obtained from mandatory angling logbooks collected from 38,000 individual recreational anglers by the Czech Fishing Union on 176 fishing sites over the years 2005–2017 in central Bohemia and Prague (the Czech Republic). Our results show that a higher intensity of catfish stocking and harvesting resulted in a lower harvest rate of rheophilic fishes. Conversely, the stocking rates of rheophilic fishes were not significantly correlated to their harvest rates. In conclusion, a significant negative relationship was found between the harvest rate and the restocking rates of rheophilic fishes and their predator, suggesting that fisheries managers should not perform intensive stocking of both catfish and rheophilic fishes on the same rivers.