catch and release mortality studies

[jbv]

i've read lots of threads, discussions, disputes and some downright nasty conversations about this controversial topic and finally found a research organization while searching UBC salmon studies. it's very interesting and thought i should post here (if it hasn't already been).

Home – Pacific Salmon Lab

We research on pacific salmon's ecology, behaviour and physiology to provide insights for conservation and to promote sustainable use of fish resources.

www.pacificsalmonecologyconservationlab.ca

here's a quick summary. many fish survive and are even caught again, sometimes a couple times, and are then even found in a hatchery a few months later. i was shocked but it happens.

large hooks over 5/0 are more likely to cause serious eye injuries. i'm replacing mine on the large plugs with max size 5.

people often question how do they even know what happens. well, there's a lot of time, effort, and technology in science and you'll see that they have methods involving tracking devices and there is a lot that we can find out. and of course, it's all imperfect and there is a lot to still learn. if you care about salmon, this is well worth your time to watch.

 

[Rockfish]

Once caught a good size Coho that had a completely healed scar where one eye use to be. I surmised it lost an eye when small and being hooked and released but still manage to get enough prey and avoid predators to grow up big and fat.

Have also caught a number of salmon with all sorts of healed up severe damage from predators, like more than half of the tail and related muscular structure missing.

Sometimes when clipping salmon at the hatchery, there were young children participating, which resulted in some getting dropped on the table or the concrete floor and squished pretty good when they were trying to pick them up. When the sleep juice wore off and they were back in the tanks, I was expecting to see a few doing the funky chicken or as sinkers or floaters, but nope, the little guys looked fine.

They are amazingly robust and unless you badly rip a gill, and they bleed out, in my view most survive.