Catch-Release Angling Injures Fish

[Peter B]

I think whenever we practice catch and return, we need to accept that there will be inevitable fatalities - all we can do is endevour to keep these to a minimum.

 

What struck me about this article is that it just reaffirms what has been said about SWFF for a while; using excessivley light tactics for fish will often leave it too exhausted to recover... I'm sure if these same 88 fish had've been hauled in with a beachcaster and immediately returned the findings would have been completely different.

 

I'm not for one second giving out about anyone who salt water fly fishes (I tried it for the first time myself this year), but I just don't think this article is a fair representation of fishing in general...

[corydoras]

Whatever you say, Sir.

That's bordering on an ad hominen attack. You really should brush up on your logical fallacies.

[n4lly]

H.A.

Corydoras has this bookmarked, cant you tell?

 

 

* Be aware that broad claims need more proof than narrow ones. Claims that use sweeping words like "all," "no," "none," "every," "always," "never," "no one," and "everyone" are sometimes appropriate--but they require a lot more proof than less-sweeping claims that use words like "some," "many," "few," "sometimes," "usually," and so forth.

 

* Double check your characterizations of others, especially your opponents, to be sure they are accurate and fair.

 

top

Can I get some practice with this?

 

Yes, you can. Follow this link to see a sample argument that's full of fallacies (and then you can follow another link to get an explanation of each one). Then there's a more well-constructed argument on the same topic.

 

 

Sure, he followed the link Joke by the way

 

Put this guy back this morning...

 

 

 

[corydoras]

This is the one I have bookmarked.

http://www.theskepticsguide.org/logicalfallacies.asp

[n4lly]

 

 

I prefer to shot down the trolls (+)

[AD84]

So in this report how do you observe a bonefish 'hours after release'? Don't take this the wrong way, but this is called 'arguing from personal incredulity'. Just because you don't know or can't imagine how something can be possible does not mean that it is indeed impossible. This is done by acoustic telemetry.

This is an interesting detail. It mentions that this telemetered data is acoustically transmitted to hydrophones on "specified frequenc[ies]" but does not mention which, nor with what sort of transmitting power. Are these frequencies at all within the sensory range of the bonefish's natural predators?

[steve pitts]

--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Peter B @ Aug 21 2007, 09:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I think whenever we practice catch and return, we need to accept that there will be inevitable fatalities - all we can do is endevour to keep these to a minimum.

 

What struck me about this article is that it just reaffirms what has been said about SWFF for a while; using excessivley light tactics for fish will often leave it too exhausted to recover... I'm sure if these same 88 fish had've been hauled in with a beachcaster and immediately returned the findings would have been completely different.

 

I'm not for one second giving out about anyone who salt water fly fishes (I tried it for the first time myself this year), but I just don't think this article is a fair representation of fishing in general...

 

You're spot on Peter

This study involved only the catch and release and subsequent tracking of bonefish, so can hardly be considered a broad base for c&r for other species. The authors aren't claiming that this represents c&r survival in general, but of course the media put a slant on it and report it that way.

 

Fly fishing gear is the method most likely to take the longest from hook-up to landing, but bonefish will also take bait and artificials too and even on a beefed-up spinning rod and 30lb braid a four pounder takes a fair while to land. Most bonefish can be returned in a fit condition if they are unhooked in the water. In most cases they will shoot off and can still out-run a shark immediately after release.

 

Keeping them out of the water for more than a minute is likely to cause severe distress or can even be fatal to bonefish, so maybe holding your breath isn't such a bad tip. Several minutes of coaxing them back to fitness is often required if they have been held for a photo or two. They are certainly one of the most prone species to over-handling that I've come across and regret to say that on a recent trip, a bonefish hooked on a plug, which took more than a minute to unhook, turned belly up and no amount of attention would revive it. It almost seems like bonefish go into shock if they are not very quickly unhooked and returned to the water. Perhaps air temperature has a lot to do with this?

 

I think that studies like this can give an insight into the survival rates of returned fish and therefore the sustainability of c&r practices, especially in areas where MPA's are to be introduced. We all know of fish that have been repeat hooked, so good numbers of fish must survive the catch and release experience, but for fish like bonefish, it is helpful to know that even if they are treated roughly, as in the study, but returned to the water quickly, their chance of survival can be very good and if it works for bonefish, it will work for more hardier species.

 

Cheers

Steve

Edited August 27, 2007 by steve pitts

[Ken Davison South Wales]

Just read through this lot and did not pick up on who financed this research, does anyone know?

[thebigman]

Interestingly enough there was a program on Sky the other night during the Shark Week and it was a study on catch and release of the blue shark off the coast of USA. The conclusion was that there was no harm to the angler caught sharks which were released.

 

The study involved electronic tags which were attached to the sharks following capture.

[corydoras]

Just read through this lot and did not pick up on who financed this research, does anyone know?

Hi Ken

The research was carried out by the Cape Eleuthera Institute.

 

They are sponsored by Bonefish and Tarpon Unlimited or by the Fisheries Conservation Foundation either directly or under subcontract to Carleton University in Canada.