# Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) Can Guide Decision-Making in Inland Fisheries Management
## 3 Results
### Involvement in Fishing  
The most experienced fishers initiated their fishing activities in the 1970s, while the majority (51.4%) started during the \"boom\" of crayfish fishery, specifically in the years 2017-2019 (Figure 2a). Four fishers (10.8%) were exclusively involved in crayfish fishing and mentioned that they would not engage in fishing again unless the crayfish stock recovers to the point where its fishery becomes profitable again. They ceased fishing between 2020 and 2021, along with five others, making a total of nine individuals comprising 24% of the group (Figure 2b). Except for one person who mentioned fishing only in the spring, the remaining fishers (68%) were continuously engaged in fishing from the time they started until today, throughout the year, except during the fishing ban period. Additionally, two women (5%) occasionally fish with their husbands, who fish regularly (Figure 2b). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l c c c} \hline
**Demographic Parameter** & **Categories** & **n** & **Percentage (\%)** \\ \hline Gender & Male & 32 & 86.5 \\  & Female & 5 & 13.5 \\ \hline Age group (years) & 19–40 & 14 & 37.8 \\  & 41–65 & 20 & 54.1 \\  & \textgreater{}65 & 3 & 8.1 \\ \hline Born area & Broader Kozani’s area & 35 & 94.6 \\  & Other & 2 & 5.4 \\ \hline Father involved with fishing & Yes & 166 & 43.2 \\  & No & 21 & 56.8 \\ \hline Educational level & Primary school & 9 & 24.3 \\  & Middle school & 7 & 18.9 \\  & High school & 9 & 24.3 \\  & Technical school & 9 & 24.3 \\  & Higher education & 3 & 8.1 \\  & institution or college & & \\ \hline Marital situation & Singles & 8 & 21.6 \\  & Married & 25 & 67.6 \\  & Divorced & 4 & 10.8 \\ \hline Main occupation & Fishing & 13 & 35.1 \\  & Other & 24 & 64.9 \\ \hline Income & 0–6000 \(\epsilon\) & 5 & 16.1 \\  & 6000–12,000 \(\epsilon\) & 13 & 41.9 \\  & 12,000–20,000 \(\epsilon\) & 7 & 22.6 \\  & \textgreater{}20,000 \(\epsilon\) & 6 & 19.4 \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Summary of demographic characteristics of the study participants (n = 37). Overall, the surveyed fishers had 36 vessels, with 27 owning one or more licensed vessels. Those who did not own vessels fished with their colleagues or spouses. On average, the vessels were about 5 m in length, with sizes ranging from 3 m to 7 m. The average engine power was around 30 hp, varying from 5 hp to 125 hp, and these boats were primarily constructed from polyester after the year 2000. Most of the fishers (32 individuals, 86.5%) indicated that they either currently sell or used to sell their entire catch to wholesalers, while a small percentage sold less than or equal to 50% of their catch at the retail level. Due to the cessation of crayfish fishing, the interviews focused solely on fish catches aiming to document the current situation. Therefore, these estimates only pertain to the fishers who were still active (occupied in 19 vessels). Based on their responses, the target species holding commercial value include common carp (_Cyprinus carpio_), wels catfish (_Silurus glanis_), Prussian carp (_Carassius gibelio_), northern pike (_Eosx lucius_), and to a lesser extent, European perch (_Perca fluviatilis_) and roach (_Rutilus rutilus_). Notably, the last two are preferred by those fishers who sell a portion of their catches at the retail level. Consequently, the primary target species for professional fishers in Polyphytos Reservoir range from 4 to 6 species. Wels catfish and northern pike were primarily caught using long lines, while common carp, Prussian carp, European perch, and roach were caught by crystal-clear gillnets (with mesh sizes ranging from 36 mm to 110 mm). The height of the gillnets varied, ranging from 1.5 m to 7 m, and the total length of the gillnets set per day extended from 500 m to 7 km. The depth at which fishing gear was set varied according to the season and the specific area within the reservoir where each fisher was fishing.