Catch and release

For other uses, see Catch and release (disambiguation).

Releasing a rod caught Atlantic salmon on the Little Gruinard in Wester Ross, Scotland

Background

Catch and release is a form of recreational fishing where releasing the fish (catch) is believed to be a technique of conservation. After capture, the fish are unhooked and returned to the water before they are totally exhausted or further injured.

In the United Kingdom, catch and release has been performed for more than a century by coarse fishermen in order to prevent target species from disappearing in heavily fished waters. Since the latter part of the 20th century, many salmon and sea trout rivers have been converted to complete or partial catch and release.

In the United States, catch and release was first introduced as a management tool in the state of Michigan in 1952 as an effort to reduce the cost of stocking hatchery-raised trout. Anglers fishing for fun rather than for food accepted the idea of releasing the fish while fishing in so-called "no-kill" zones. Conservationists have advocated catch and release as a way to ensure sustainability and to avoid overfishing of fish stocks.

In Australia, catch and release caught on slowly, with some pioneers practicing it the 1960s, and the practice slowly becoming more widespread in the 1970s and 1980s. Catch and release is now widely used to conserve — and indeed is critical in conserving — vulnerable fish species like the large, long lived native freshwater Murray Cod and the prized, slowly growing, heavily fished Australian bass, heavily fished coastal species like Dusky Flathead and prized gamefish like striped marlin.

Fishing hook

Catch and release is mandatory for some species in Canada, which also requires, in some cases, the use of barbless hooks to facilitate release and minimize injury.

Debate

Catch and release is decried by some who claim it is unethical or immoral to inflict pain, stress and increased mortality on fish for sport or amusement. Some oppose catch and release only and do not oppose fishing for food, per se.

Proponents of catch and release dispute the suggestion that fish hooked in the mouth feel pain. Many point to the fact that fish consume spiny, hard prey items such as crayfish, molluscs and other fish, and require a tough, insensitive mouth to do so; such a mouth is unlikely to feel a hook point. Some point to studies that claim fish lack the higher brain functions that physiologists often associate with the ability to feel pain. And some quote the many observations fishermen have made of fish succeeding in throwing a lure and then turning around and striking the same lure again, an unlikely behaviour if being hooked in mouth causes pain. Similarly, all observations from fishermen support the contention that hooked fish fight because they feel the pull of fishing line, not because the hook in their mouth hurts.

Opponents of catch and release point out that fish are highly evolved vertebrates that share many of the same neurological structures that, in humans, are associated with pain perception. They point to studies that show that, neurologically, fish are quite similar to "higher" vertebrates and that blood chemistry reveals that hormones and blood metabolites associated with stress are quite high in fish struggling against hook and line, resulting in increased mortality. The idea that fish do not feel pain in their mouths has been studied at the University of Edinburgh and the Roslin Institute by injecting bee venom and acetic acid into the lips of rainbow trout; the fish responded by rubbing their lips along the sides and floors of their tanks in an effort to relieve themselves of the sensation. Lead researcher Dr. Lynne Sneddon wrote "Our research demonstrates nociception and suggests that noxious stimulation in the rainbow trout has adverse behavioral and physiological effects. This fulfils the criteria for animal pain." However, others argue this may demonstrate a chemical sensitivity rather than pain; notably, no similar result has been obtained with trauma, such as using fishhooks. Thus, the evidence for pain sensation in fish is ambiguous. Some anglers accept the arguments that fish are highly evolved vertebrates that can feel pain, but again point out that that fish have tough, bony mouths that often consume spiny, hard prey items, and that hooks therefore do not cause fish pain, despite fish being capable of feeling pain.

Catch and release is viewed disfavorably by those who believe that fish give themselves up to fishermen for food, as they see it as disrespectful to throw it away. Members of some First Nations groups in Canada have this belief. (yukon fishing regulation)

A neutral analysis of the arguments and counter-arguments demonstrates that a definitive science-based conclusion on the degree fish are harmed by the process of being caught is unavailable. It seems clear that the issues surrounding catch and release will likely yield more readily to ethical analysis than to purely scientific investigation.

Ultimately, many catch and release anglers appeal to conservationist principles. They maintain that catch and release is increasingly necessary to prevent the overharvest of fish stocks in the face of burgeoning human populations, mounting fishing pressure and worsening habitat degradation. They propose that the alternative of banning or severely restricting angling is either unpalatable, unreasonable or not feasible. Fishermen have been practising catch and release for decades now, including in some highly pressured fish stocks, and no significant, measurable effects on fish stocks have been noted.

Catch and Release Techniques

Needle nose pliers

Effective catch and release fishing requires minimal handling of the fish to prevent unnecessary stress, unintended injury and the harmful removal of the fish's protective slime layer. The use of barbless hooks when practising catch and release should be encouraged. Barbless hooks can be purchased from several major manufacturers or can be created from a standard hook by crushing the barb(s) flat with needle-nosed pliers. Although some anglers still avoid barbless hooks because of the perception that too many fish escape, their use reduces injury, reduces handling time, and increases survival. Frequently, fish caught on barbless hooks can be released without being removed from the water. Concentrating on keeping the line taut while fighting fish, using recurved point or "triple grip" style hooks on lures, and equipping lures that do not have them with split rings are effective methods to minimise escapement.

The effects of catch and release vary from species to species. A number of scientific studies have shown extremely high survival rates (97%+) (e.g. ) for released fish if handled correctly and particularly if caught on artificial baits such as lures. Fish caught on lures are usually hooked cleanly in the mouth, minimising injury and aiding release. Other studies have shown somewhat lower but encouragingly high survival rates for fish gut-hooked on bait if the line is cut and the fish is released without trying to remove the hook. This procedure should be followed for any gut-hooked fish intended or required to be released.

See also

• Fishing
• Angling
• Sport fishing
• Fly fishing
• Pain

External links

• Federation of Fly Fishers
• The Itinerant Angler
• NorthWestTrout
• Trout Unlimited