Spatial distribution and influencing factors of leisure fishery in Zhejiang Province, China

Context. The leisure -fishery (LF) industry is an industry that provides fishing activities for recreation and sports. A well-designed layout of LF can reduce resource allocation costs, give play to regional advantages, and maximise utility. Aims. This paper aims to provide a spatial evolutionary understanding of the development of leisure fishery, and on this basis provide guidance for the future development of leisure -fishery industry, focusing mainly on Zhejiang, an important coastal province of China. Methods. ArcGIS spatial analysis tool was used to calculate the nearest-neighbour index, outlier analysis, kernel-density analysis, clustering, and coefficient of variation, to analyse the spatial-distribution characteristics of LF units and influencing factors of the spatial distribution in Zhejiang Province. Key results. The results showed significant differences in the distribution density of LF units among cities in Zhejiang. Traffic, market, and scenic-spot location significantly affected the distribution of LF units in Zhejiang Province. Furthermore, population and economics also affected the spatial distribution of LF units. Conclusions. The main influencing factors of LF were closely related to traffic, market, and scenic spots. Implications. Future policy making should focus on the siphoning effects of infrastructure by achieving more rational transport planning and market incentives.