dasher
29-07-2005, 07:30 AM
I have posted this with the kind permission of the author, Mr John Bethune.
Two National Fishing Magazines have so far refused to publish this article - as they state it is too controversial. What do you think?
In the following MUST READ thought provoking screed, John Bethune reminds us of the most basic reason why we fish; points out some problems - and warns of minorities which threaten the very future of our sport.
*** “Cruelty to fish movement reaches Australia”.
*** “National Parks Association and the National Parks & Wildlife Service move to control and protect fish within their parks and nearby waters”.
*** “Royal National Park’s roads closed to overnight anglers”.
*** “Wollemi National Park’s tracks closed to all vehicles”.
*** “National Parks and Wildlife Service declare more Wilderness Areas - No Fishing Allowed”.
*** “No Closed Prawn Trawling Season for the Hawkesbury”.
*** “Foreign Weed chokes our most valuable coastal river”.
SPORTFISHING RE-THINK
Or
“A TIME FOR ACTION”
Memories blur with time - but every now and again something jogs the brain and they come flooding back. One such event happened recently visiting a tackle store whilst returning from a fishing weekend with long time mate Alan Dent. I foolishly mentioned that we had presented the owner of the property on which we fished with a couple of dressed out fish for his table. The fish were bass - not big ones, the largest being about half a kilo. They were offered as a small gesture of thanks for the marvellous sport we enjoyed on his section of the river. They were accepted with warm smiles, a firm handshake, and invitations to return at any time in the future.
Overhearing our conversation with the store proprietor, a young fellow loudly stated that he had not killed a bass in ten years. He didn’t actually castigate us but we were clearly made to understand that he believed that all sportfish should be released. And to kill a bass was definitely not the done thing. I was both taken off guard and experienced a feeling of embarrassment and anger that was hard to describe. At the time I chose to let it ride. We had a long trip home ahead of us and neither had the time or the energy for a lengthy explanation and discussion. But the episode certainly started a train of thought and a discussion on the way home of just where our sport of recreational fishing is heading.
With bass in particular I now rarely kill fish to eat. The usual exception being on hiking or walk in adventures where the odd bass is used to supplement our diet - and then it is only the smaller half pound plus ones that find their way to our plates. It was not always that way. In my younger days, I often returned home the proud hunter with the family appreciating what fish, fowl or game I was able to capture. In fact with eight brothers and sisters and later six children of my own, there were times when we depended on my hunting and angling skills. But even in those times I was well trained to take and kill no more than was required for our immediate use. This fact being tempered by the point that we then killed the larger fish whilst releasing those smaller to grow, live and breed for future stock.
Today of course we have learnt that what we were innocently practicing back then was actually back the front. We however now realise that the larger stud breeders are the most valuable in more ways than one. For they not only guarantee future healthy stocks, but also ensure the availability of those trophy size specimens which both motivate us and also ensure the future of the sport of recreational fishing.
With the current growth of Sportfishing - catch and release and light and ultra light line angling. If we are to protect our sport for future generations to enjoy - there are some contentious points (problems) of which we anglers must all be made aware. And in fact through the worldwide emergence of the “Cruelty to Fish” movement, we don’t have a great deal of time to clean up our act. Unfortunately, groups such as these practice Anthropomorphism (the relating of human feelings and qualities to animals and fish) and for the most part they are probably made up of well meaning people. Make no mistake though, they have a point. Our sport can be judged brutal and it is practiced in what at times can be an extremely savage environment.
Let me explain.
The pure catch and release ethic particularly when practiced with ultra light breaking strain lines, leaves its followers open to a great deal of criticism from both within and without the sport. An outsider could reason that we are hooking then after long fights on light lines releasing heavily stressed fish simply to placate our own ego's. They do not understand the subtleties of the hunt - such as the art of bait or lure presentation or the way one tunes into nature and studies the habits of the quarry, its environment and the effects of weather. Nor the challenge of tempting hard to attract fish into striking our offerings and the necessity of sometimes utilising ultra-light tackle to do so. For in their minds, after torturing fish we simply let them go again. Whereas all the above activities become much more acceptable if there is a picture or scene of fish cooking on a stove, barbecue or campfire - or arranged nicely on a plate ready to eat. To this end most leading American outdoor publications go to great pains today to not only show live fish and game; but where possible food preparation, and or a cooking or serving picture or scene is included in most articles. People eat fish - it's traditional, like Friday’s meal - they’re healthy, like good for the heart - and dressed out and \ or cooked are recognisable to almost every living human being. But most important of all, it gives real purpose to our sport that most people can relate to. For when the purpose of the hunt can be seen as extra food gathering - non-participants more easily accept our sport. No apology or explanation needed. Please give the foregoing some serious thought. Remembering that the occasional fresh fish meal is not only enjoyable but reminds us in the most wholesome way, to one of the major reasons why we hunt fish. New bag limits and minimum and maximum legal lengths not only ensuring that we only keep enough for our personal needs; but also that we return the larger most valuable breeders back to do their job.
We should also continuously point out that angling is much more humane with its quick clean kill or release when compared with the slow death and struggles in a gill net - or the suffering experienced by fish being crushed and drowned in the cod end of a trawl net. To say nothing of the massive and wasteful by-catch kills of young fish, particularly in estuary and river prawn trawling. For without a doubt, the trawling of prawns in our estuaries is the most destructive form of professional fishing. The destroying of weedbeds and the by catch slaughter not only wreaking untold habitat damage - but also effecting most fish populations. In some cases almost to the point of extinction. We are one of the very few educated countries still trawling our estuaries instead of accelerating the change to the now very successful and profitable fish farming and aquaculture systems. The very least we could do in the short term, is to periodically close our estuaries or rivers to trawling and so let them recover. Whereas, at the present time there are sixty-nine (69) licensed trawlers in the Hawkesbury, with no closed season. And now there is a move to have the weekend embargo on trawling lifted. These facts together with the trapping of eels (a native fish) limiting their migration and the return of young elvers to the river; has derived the river of untold amounts of valuable forage for all river fish such as bass, bream, estuary perch and jewfish (mulloway). And we wonder why there are fewer and smaller fish available to all.
In magazine articles (such as this), fishing club meetings and groups where anglers meet and points of view are exchanged. eg. The best lines - the most successful lures - times to fish - the tides - the moon - the seasons and the effect of the barometric pressure on fish etc.. More regularly being discussed is the subject of how angled fish are effected by the stresses and trauma of their capture and or release. Not so much instigated by those present, but more so in answer to criticism from without.
And here anthropomorphism rears its head yet again relating human feelings to fish. One writer recently stated that after being fought and released, a ripe female bass would reabsorb its roe and not spawn due to the suffered stress. Well in the marine world there are more predators, murderers, assassins and snipers than we can “humanly” imagine. And having several times witnessed the netting and handling of near ripe and ripe brood fish in hatchery and holding pond situations, with no apparent resorbing or loss of roe. I am more than confident that a released bass in particular has a very short memory and suffers little or no trauma (as we understand it) - due to a fight and release. Especially when reasonable breaking strain lines are used and lactic acid build up is limited by a quick capture. The hardiness and resiliency of most fish, particularly our freshwater natives have to be experienced to be believed. As a young lad I would often arrive home after an afternoon’s perch (bass) fishing with my catch carried in a wet sugar bag. With no such niceties as a coup de grace and with dinner usually waiting - I would unceremoniously dump them in an old bath that caught the overflow rainwater. After dinner I would then have my hands full re-capturing the now recovered fish. Over a period of time, several of these were transferred to a backyard pond and a large glass fish tank where they survived happily - some for several years. I rest my case.
Next.....
Two National Fishing Magazines have so far refused to publish this article - as they state it is too controversial. What do you think?
In the following MUST READ thought provoking screed, John Bethune reminds us of the most basic reason why we fish; points out some problems - and warns of minorities which threaten the very future of our sport.
*** “Cruelty to fish movement reaches Australia”.
*** “National Parks Association and the National Parks & Wildlife Service move to control and protect fish within their parks and nearby waters”.
*** “Royal National Park’s roads closed to overnight anglers”.
*** “Wollemi National Park’s tracks closed to all vehicles”.
*** “National Parks and Wildlife Service declare more Wilderness Areas - No Fishing Allowed”.
*** “No Closed Prawn Trawling Season for the Hawkesbury”.
*** “Foreign Weed chokes our most valuable coastal river”.
SPORTFISHING RE-THINK
Or
“A TIME FOR ACTION”
Memories blur with time - but every now and again something jogs the brain and they come flooding back. One such event happened recently visiting a tackle store whilst returning from a fishing weekend with long time mate Alan Dent. I foolishly mentioned that we had presented the owner of the property on which we fished with a couple of dressed out fish for his table. The fish were bass - not big ones, the largest being about half a kilo. They were offered as a small gesture of thanks for the marvellous sport we enjoyed on his section of the river. They were accepted with warm smiles, a firm handshake, and invitations to return at any time in the future.
Overhearing our conversation with the store proprietor, a young fellow loudly stated that he had not killed a bass in ten years. He didn’t actually castigate us but we were clearly made to understand that he believed that all sportfish should be released. And to kill a bass was definitely not the done thing. I was both taken off guard and experienced a feeling of embarrassment and anger that was hard to describe. At the time I chose to let it ride. We had a long trip home ahead of us and neither had the time or the energy for a lengthy explanation and discussion. But the episode certainly started a train of thought and a discussion on the way home of just where our sport of recreational fishing is heading.
With bass in particular I now rarely kill fish to eat. The usual exception being on hiking or walk in adventures where the odd bass is used to supplement our diet - and then it is only the smaller half pound plus ones that find their way to our plates. It was not always that way. In my younger days, I often returned home the proud hunter with the family appreciating what fish, fowl or game I was able to capture. In fact with eight brothers and sisters and later six children of my own, there were times when we depended on my hunting and angling skills. But even in those times I was well trained to take and kill no more than was required for our immediate use. This fact being tempered by the point that we then killed the larger fish whilst releasing those smaller to grow, live and breed for future stock.
Today of course we have learnt that what we were innocently practicing back then was actually back the front. We however now realise that the larger stud breeders are the most valuable in more ways than one. For they not only guarantee future healthy stocks, but also ensure the availability of those trophy size specimens which both motivate us and also ensure the future of the sport of recreational fishing.
With the current growth of Sportfishing - catch and release and light and ultra light line angling. If we are to protect our sport for future generations to enjoy - there are some contentious points (problems) of which we anglers must all be made aware. And in fact through the worldwide emergence of the “Cruelty to Fish” movement, we don’t have a great deal of time to clean up our act. Unfortunately, groups such as these practice Anthropomorphism (the relating of human feelings and qualities to animals and fish) and for the most part they are probably made up of well meaning people. Make no mistake though, they have a point. Our sport can be judged brutal and it is practiced in what at times can be an extremely savage environment.
Let me explain.
The pure catch and release ethic particularly when practiced with ultra light breaking strain lines, leaves its followers open to a great deal of criticism from both within and without the sport. An outsider could reason that we are hooking then after long fights on light lines releasing heavily stressed fish simply to placate our own ego's. They do not understand the subtleties of the hunt - such as the art of bait or lure presentation or the way one tunes into nature and studies the habits of the quarry, its environment and the effects of weather. Nor the challenge of tempting hard to attract fish into striking our offerings and the necessity of sometimes utilising ultra-light tackle to do so. For in their minds, after torturing fish we simply let them go again. Whereas all the above activities become much more acceptable if there is a picture or scene of fish cooking on a stove, barbecue or campfire - or arranged nicely on a plate ready to eat. To this end most leading American outdoor publications go to great pains today to not only show live fish and game; but where possible food preparation, and or a cooking or serving picture or scene is included in most articles. People eat fish - it's traditional, like Friday’s meal - they’re healthy, like good for the heart - and dressed out and \ or cooked are recognisable to almost every living human being. But most important of all, it gives real purpose to our sport that most people can relate to. For when the purpose of the hunt can be seen as extra food gathering - non-participants more easily accept our sport. No apology or explanation needed. Please give the foregoing some serious thought. Remembering that the occasional fresh fish meal is not only enjoyable but reminds us in the most wholesome way, to one of the major reasons why we hunt fish. New bag limits and minimum and maximum legal lengths not only ensuring that we only keep enough for our personal needs; but also that we return the larger most valuable breeders back to do their job.
We should also continuously point out that angling is much more humane with its quick clean kill or release when compared with the slow death and struggles in a gill net - or the suffering experienced by fish being crushed and drowned in the cod end of a trawl net. To say nothing of the massive and wasteful by-catch kills of young fish, particularly in estuary and river prawn trawling. For without a doubt, the trawling of prawns in our estuaries is the most destructive form of professional fishing. The destroying of weedbeds and the by catch slaughter not only wreaking untold habitat damage - but also effecting most fish populations. In some cases almost to the point of extinction. We are one of the very few educated countries still trawling our estuaries instead of accelerating the change to the now very successful and profitable fish farming and aquaculture systems. The very least we could do in the short term, is to periodically close our estuaries or rivers to trawling and so let them recover. Whereas, at the present time there are sixty-nine (69) licensed trawlers in the Hawkesbury, with no closed season. And now there is a move to have the weekend embargo on trawling lifted. These facts together with the trapping of eels (a native fish) limiting their migration and the return of young elvers to the river; has derived the river of untold amounts of valuable forage for all river fish such as bass, bream, estuary perch and jewfish (mulloway). And we wonder why there are fewer and smaller fish available to all.
In magazine articles (such as this), fishing club meetings and groups where anglers meet and points of view are exchanged. eg. The best lines - the most successful lures - times to fish - the tides - the moon - the seasons and the effect of the barometric pressure on fish etc.. More regularly being discussed is the subject of how angled fish are effected by the stresses and trauma of their capture and or release. Not so much instigated by those present, but more so in answer to criticism from without.
And here anthropomorphism rears its head yet again relating human feelings to fish. One writer recently stated that after being fought and released, a ripe female bass would reabsorb its roe and not spawn due to the suffered stress. Well in the marine world there are more predators, murderers, assassins and snipers than we can “humanly” imagine. And having several times witnessed the netting and handling of near ripe and ripe brood fish in hatchery and holding pond situations, with no apparent resorbing or loss of roe. I am more than confident that a released bass in particular has a very short memory and suffers little or no trauma (as we understand it) - due to a fight and release. Especially when reasonable breaking strain lines are used and lactic acid build up is limited by a quick capture. The hardiness and resiliency of most fish, particularly our freshwater natives have to be experienced to be believed. As a young lad I would often arrive home after an afternoon’s perch (bass) fishing with my catch carried in a wet sugar bag. With no such niceties as a coup de grace and with dinner usually waiting - I would unceremoniously dump them in an old bath that caught the overflow rainwater. After dinner I would then have my hands full re-capturing the now recovered fish. Over a period of time, several of these were transferred to a backyard pond and a large glass fish tank where they survived happily - some for several years. I rest my case.
Next.....