Recreational catch and release fish mortality

[Ancient Mariner]

1. There clearly needs to be a need for additional(repeatable) studies on C&R mortalities. This information should inform best practices in catch and release.
2) The best practices should become part of the regulation. IE if it is determined that the survival rate is much higher when fish don't cross the gunnel/don't enter a net, then that should be the rule.
3) With all the available technology with go pros/cameras etc. It really should be easy to get the hero shots/evidence of fish caught that people crave while following best practices for C&R.

Who looks at all these pictures . Who cares. Maybe you should not be allowed to take your phone fishing.

 

[wildmanyeah]

Who looks at all these pictures . Who cares. Maybe you should not be allowed to take your phone fishing.

People that don’t fish lots

I went out with coworkers, many of whome had never been fishing before on a guided sturgeon trip they wanted pictures left and right with the fish.

The guide had to keep being like okay okay we have to pit it back now.

 

[Ancient Mariner]

People that don’t fish lots

I went out with coworkers, many of whome had never been fishing before on a guided sturgeon trip they wanted pictures left and right with the fish.

The guide had to keep being like okay okay we have to pit it back now.

. Proper Catch and release is just common sense. It is not rocket science.You have to put the fish first and forget about your ego.Like anything your get better at it the more you do it.

 

[SpringVelocity]

There is a study being done in Barkley Sound right now. UBC is doing it and it will peer reviewed using science.

@Derby posted link so look above.

It is in 2nd year starting summer. We will have to wait for results but it should put this too bed once and for all. It has everything you guys keep posting.

 

[wildmanyeah]

Putting the fish first is staying at home and not fishing.

The point of having good catch and release regulations is so you can extend fisheries for longer right.

So instead of closing the fishery after 10 fish are caught and released.

You can close it after 100 fish are caught and released.

It’s not about putting the fish first oif anything it’s about putting your fellow angler first.

That’s why I think this subject triggers people so much as they look at people with poor practices as stealing the resource from them.

ENGOs will want to peg us with the highest mort rate possible because it will mean less opportunities.

Then there is the group that would rather keep fish and have a small opening then just catch and release with a long opening.

Most of the people on here with even the best practices are doing more damage then the casual andies going out a few time a year

 

[Last_Call]

Lots of good info here on FRIM and as others have stated the past research / studies on C&R mortality have varied greatly! I recall a study done up at Langara 20+yrs ago with guides/net pens showed something like a 2-4% mortality, whereas others claim it's over 50% as has been mentioned earlier in this thread. It's a complex issue to study but with the technology available today I think with UBC study and others are going to give a much more accurate picture of the impacts of C&R fishing on the survival of salmon.

One other interesting factor just to complicate these studies is the issue of cumulative effects. ie. what else could be impacting the fishes survival rate? Warming waters? Poor nutrition? Disease / pathgens? Many other factors to consider and this is all being considered by those doing the work right now.

Looking forward to SFI's best handling practices when it comes out. The one thing I can say is that all us rec fishers need to understand we don't have all the answers. What was considered best practices a while back might not be so today. We need to let the research speak for itself and adapt as new research comes in. None of us want to kill salmon we don't intend to keep but I can safely say that I, and most I fish with, have not always handled fish / caught fish / released fish / etc if the best interest of the fish. One quick example is that I had always been taught that reviving a big salmon boatside after a good fight is the best way to ensure it's survival.... Well, according to the survival stats from this UBC study to date this is not the case. Best to not handle the fish at all... even if you were handling it in the water to revive it. Anyways, i'm sure there will be lots of good results to come and I hope everyone who fishes reads them and acts accordingly as this whole FRIM issue is one that many groups are using to try to further shut down rec fishing on the coast.