PICTURE PERFECT – at what cost?
Anglers are conservationists – it’s a part of our genetic make-up. We appreciate the fishing opportunities that we have and ardently protect them for future generations. There are many things that we can do to support sustainable fisheries. We can be advocates and remind politicians and government representatives that land use management requires balancing economics with environmental protection. We can report poachers and we can identify polluters. When we don’t harvest fish, we can support catch-and-release. Catch and release is a bit of an angling art and includes handling fish in specific ways that greatly improves their chance of surviving after being released.
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
Research has shown there are many things that anglers can do to ensure a released fish survives. We understand the benefits of using barbless hooks, playing fish more quickly when water temperatures are high, not fishing when water temperatures are really high (time better spent drinking beer), and allowing fish to recover before they are released. We have also learned about the critical importance of minimizing the length of time that fish are exposed to air. The two most common reasons for taking a fish out of water are to remove the hook and to photograph it. Hooks can usually be removed
