Catch and Release Mortality Rates

In two weeks I will be kicking back with a Tusker quart in Kenya - I know lucky b$%#tard

Have arranged for a days offshore with a  local operator with prospects looking exceptionally good. See thread:

http://www.sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=30671&forum_id=45

Must admit I am a bit of a softy and only my love the odd fillet on the braai allows me to keep the odd fish.

So naturally I am/was a bit concerned that in the event that I hooked a leviathan of the deep that it would have to pay for my dream with its life.

Susequently I did a bit of research and came across this study by the Brazilian government.

http://www.acuteangling.com/Reference/C&RMortality.html

 

Very interesting. My conscience and I were both pleasantly surprised by the high level of survival. That said circle hooks and keeping the fish in the water at all times added to their chances a great deal.

 

Maybe there is something in it for the R&S guys as well?

That is an interesting piece of research, backed by gooed data!

Enjoy your trip to Kenya!

Good find.

Very valuable information, circle hooks seem to be the way to go. Nice post

enjoy it Franz and thanks for the info

Any fish returned has a better chance at survival than one that goes to the pan

With the sharks of late we've only fished Circles and a single hook 90% of the time.  Unhook in the water wherever possible out for a quick photo and get it off.

Make sure when releasing in the surf it is upright and swimming.  When upside down the shark goes catatonic, stops swimming and eventually suffocates.  Di\on't let the shark roll in the surf

For me one double J hooked raggie was enough to convert me to circles. Prefer to take my hardware back and I am sure the fish agree.

interesting read

Hi Guys-A very interesting topic which is widely discussed amongst my mates and should get lots of mail.

Well said about the pan Enigma.

I have been fishing for Billfish for 18 years and probably averaged 35 a year(Last 2 yrs very poor). Over those years We have put probably 2-3 a year on the boat for various reasons (dying,bleeding badly,compo requirements or the client wanted it badly).

In all that time the others have been safely released or tagged and released but not one tag has ever come back to me or any of the guys that I know fish for Billfish?

The marlin all seem to swim away well but do they?

I must add that we promote tag and release on my boate but now leave it up to the client.

Any thoughts?

Catch you later

Tom

I read an interesting article in the Water Research Commission’s two-monthly magazine ‘Water Wheel’ on a recent study in South Africa on stress levels of caught and released fish. According to the study a global debate has started among fishing circles questioning the benefits of catch and release fishing. Apparently some researchers have called for caution against what they term ‘overzealous implementation’ of catch and release angling in light of the lack of knowledge regarding the sub-lethal effects and post-release mortalities this approach may have on individual fish species. It has apparently been proposed that species-specific guidelines be developed taking into account the inter-specific diversity of fishes and variation in fishing techniques.

The writer points out that the ultimate success of catch and release angling depends on ensuring high release survival rates. If we are uncertain on the effects of catch and release on a specific species, how can we promote it as an effective conservation tool?

The local study was aimed at the Smallmouth yellowfish. Unfortunately most of the international studies were also aimed at freshwater fish species. It was, however, found that different fish species responded differently to this approach. It was found that some handled the stress well. With some species, however, it had a serious affect on spawning while the stress led to eventual mortality or in other cases. Fish caught in colder water also handled the stress of catch and release better than fish caught in more temperate water.

It is interesting to note that not all countries advocate catch and release. For example, in Switzerland, catch and release has been banned from 2009, with the country’s anglers now obliged to take a course on ‘humane methods’ for catching fish.

So, there we have something to contemplate. I have for some time argued that I can easily buy fresh fish at a shop and that I would rather release my catches, so as to have the opportunity to fish again in the future. Now it appears it might not be so straight forward. Maybe we should contemplate other methods and approaches to ensure that our children and their children will still have the privilege of catching fish in the future.

I agree with what you mention there Kaspaas.

Some fishes are defenately more stressed and anxious than others by nature. In fresh water the papermouth seems to become extremely anxious and I have had some dying when landing.

It may have to do with how hard you hammer the fish and how tired they become during the fight. I can also say that some fish you catch can be released aparantly happy to 'get away' while the next one behaves a lot more stressed.

Saw it with shad a few times. We even cought one that was descaled by a leerie during reeling it in. We had 'to let it go' because it was undersize. Rather ridiculous.

Releasing fish that is in a good condition offers them a second chance (of getting cought LOL). I do not agree with our own laws regarding what you should or can keep. We should have our own laws revised and allow anglers to keep so called undersize fish instead, still within a bag limit of course and release the larger ones.

The argument is simple. Small ones are usually plentifull and has a small chance of reaching adult status and breed, I think I once saw 1% reaches adulthood, but depends on which fish. The big ones are there already, can usually take care of themselves and should ensure the next generation.

I think in the US they already have size laws like that. Now I know this is going to cause a lot of unhappy arguments, but if you think in the interest of the fish then it is probably a better option.

If you catch a fish and you hook it ie through the eye for instance (usually smaller fish) then I don't think that fish is going to survive. I've never cought a sea fish with only one eye, did in the fresh though, once. By putting it back it's bait for sure, keeping it for part of a quota could possibly be allowed - keeping 50 all hooked through the eye should of course not be acceptable LOL.

Maybe we should contemplate other methods and approaches to ensure that our children and their children will still have the privilege of catching fish in the future.

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I totally disagree. If we just ensure that we have enough fish for ourselves NOW then our children will have some as well. It always have a feel that our problems are being left 'for our children' instead of any one doing something about it - now. Ok maybe complain about things. If we will be ok then our children will be too.

my 2c

Sorry I want to add. Our children are already getting a bunch of fish in the red or semi distinct list. I would rather have us take care of it now, or start doing it than them blaming us for not doing something. They probably would do same by example.

Fanie wrote:

I agree with what you mention there Kaspaas.

Some fishes are defenately more stressed and anxious than others by nature. In fresh water the papermouth seems to become extremely anxious and I have had some dying when landing.

It may have to do with how hard you hammer the fish and how tired they become during the fight. I can also say that some fish you catch can be released aparantly happy to 'get away' while the next one behaves a lot more stressed.

Saw it with shad a few times. We even cought one that was descaled by a leerie during reeling it in. We had 'to let it go' because it was undersize. Rather ridiculous.

Releasing fish that is in a good condition offers them a second chance (of getting cought LOL). I do not agree with our own laws regarding what you should or can keep. We should have our own laws revised and allow anglers to keep so called undersize fish instead, still within a bag limit of course and release the larger ones.

The argument is simple. Small ones are usually plentifull and has a small chance of reaching adult status and breed, I think I once saw 1% reaches adulthood, but depends on which fish. The big ones are there already, can usually take care of themselves and should ensure the next generation.

I think in the US they already have size laws like that. Now I know this is going to cause a lot of unhappy arguments, but if you think in the interest of the fish then it is probably a better option.

If you catch a fish and you hook it ie through the eye for instance (usually smaller fish) then I don't think that fish is going to survive. I've never cought a sea fish with only one eye, did in the fresh though, once. By putting it back it's bait for sure, keeping it for part of a quota could possibly be allowed - keeping 50 all hooked through the eye should of course not be acceptable LOL.

Maybe we should contemplate other methods and approaches to ensure that our children and their children will still have the privilege of catching fish in the future.

Click to expand...

I totally disagree. If we just ensure that we have enough fish for ourselves NOW then our children will have some as well. It always have a feel that our problems are being left 'for our children' instead of any one doing something about it - now. Ok maybe complain about things. If we will be ok then our children will be too.

my 2c

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Maybe I should qualify my comment. I'm not implying that we shouldn't catch and release. I should have added the word `also` when I said we should consider other approaches and methods. If a specific fish species does not handle the release approach well and it is found that it will die in any event, what is the value of releasing it? I also agree with your comment regarding the keeping of smaller fish and releasing large specimans.

Some very interesting reading form all above parties.I will try and add a few laymans angles to this worthy debate.

In recent years (last 15 or so) the recapture rate of ORI-tagged fish have increased significantly,from a 3% in 1985 to an all time high of 7,5% in 2008.(average for all fish tagged and released,last 5 years averaging out at approx 6%).We all know that statistics is a wonderfull thing and can be interpreted in more than one way to validate a cause.I for one am not entirely sure if the above stats means that

(a) released fish are surviving at a better rate, or

(b) The ''pool'' of fish caught, is getting so significantly smaller that the same fish are caught more and more.Hence the higher recaptures.

Another interesting factor is for example the recapture rate of Ragged-tooth sharks which is above the average at 8,67% roughly 320 tagged-specimens recaptured untill last year.Yet again,does this mean .

a) Raggies have a high survival rate.

b) Raggies is a favourite/abundant target specie and therefor the high recapture rate.

Personally I dont have these answers,its just another angle to the conversation/conservation.I personally have a recapture rate of 6,5% (approx 100 fish tagged)and had a recapture of a puppy greyshark (6-8kilos) after being free for only two or three days and with roughly 7km's travel,.It gave me some peace of mind that the Grey was willing and able to ''hunt''and eat again pretty soon after release. Species-specific mortality rates is a reality and various factors can play a role therein, i.e tackle used ,intensity and duration of the fight etc etc.(more about that later)

Lastly @Lynski. As everybody else, I also applaud your release of your quarries,but boy I would be peed if somewhere down the line someone comes to the definitive conclusion that none, or very few of them actually survived anyways.Can one not endeavour to accoustically tag a few specimens and then track movement for a week or two,much in the same vein as Nicole '(The Great White that swam to Australia and back from RSA),continous movement,or lack of, by the fish should give one a fair idea of mortality after release.

Just a very expensive thought,lol ::Smaybe get NAT-GEO involved.