The Ethics of Catch and Release Fishing
Catch and release fishing has taken on a life of its own, spawning the sport of tournament bass fishing and bringing grip and grin photography into the world of fishing. While the rise in popularity of catch and release fishing has greatly assisted the growth and preservation of activity, very few are aware of what happens to the fish once it is actually released. This article will hopefully provide some insights into the effects of catch and release fishing and how it can be perfected to better ensure the health and safety of our fish populations.
The Need for Catch and Release Fishing
Recreational fishing is an activity enjoyed globally; with roughly 11.5 percent of the world’s population engaging in the sport. Based on the current global population, Steven J. Cooks and Ian G. Cowx estimate in their paper, The role of recreational fishing in the global fish crisis, that the global recreational capture rates are roughly 47 billion fish per year, making conservation practices focused specifically on recreational fishing a crucial factor in sustaining our fisheries.
Catch and release fishing is perhaps the most widely practiced conservation method when it comes to recreational fishing and has yielded extremely positive results in both the sport and in the communities that surround it. This often voluntary conservation method ultimately minimizes the impact that recreational angling has on an area while still maintaining its important social and economic benefits to society and allowing even people who have no interest in eating fish to get involved in the activity. The population of this practice has been significantly increasing since the 1990’s, with roughly 60% of all fish landed globally being released (Arlinghaus et al. 2007).
The Effectiveness of Catch and Release Fishing
Like all mitigation strategies, catch and release fishing faces its own share of problems. Hooking mortality rates, for example, can range as low as 1% to as high as 90% depending on the area in which the fish is hooked, with the latter likely entailing a hook to the vital organs (Arlinghaus et al. 2007). This wide range makes it very difficult to determine how many fish are returned to the water safely as tackle choices and skill in hook setting are largely left up to the angler.
Another issue is the increased rate of predation after a fish is released as lactic acid build up due to prolonged stress can cause the fish to lose its ability to swim in bursts for approximately 24 hours. This is especially concerning when it comes to tournament fishing as hundreds of fish are returned to the same place after a day full of stress in the livewell. This style of fishing can also be harmful when fishing for nesting fish such as Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, as even pulling these fish briefly from their nests allows predators to eat the eggs and fingerlings of the parent fish.
Although catch and release fishing has its negatives, the impact that it can have when implemented correctly has shown to be extremely positive. In the case of catch and release fishing, the majority of fish mortalities after release can be avoided through proper education and proper equipment. The data shows that when properly hooked in the mouth, even deeply hooked fish will show no signs of injury 60% of the time (Arlinghaus et al. 2007). Although not perfect, this rate of survival is very high considering deep hooks are rare and often avoidable by skilled and knowledgeable anglers. Data also suggests that survival rates can be virtually assured when deflating the swim bladder of a fish that was caught in deep water, a technique known as fizzing (Arlinghaus et al. 2007).
Improving Catch and Release Fishing
For these reasons, my suggestion for the improvement in the mitigation of the effects of recreational fishing would be an educational course or test required to take part in the activity. This strategy is already in place as a requirement to obtain your hunting license and is being offered as on a voluntary basis in fishing-heavy provinces such as Alberta. Many fish mortalities could be avoided if anglers were properly educated on such topics as the proper handling of fish and the use of ethical gear. Although this strategy does not solve all problems surrounding recreational fishing, I feel that education on the issues surrounding the activity would benefit the fish, the ecosystems, and the anglers that makeup the sport.