Something fishy: how long does your catch live?

[nsw_fisheries]

http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au/gen/news/fb_04mar13_something.htm

"This document has been posted for information and to encourage discussion among yourselves. For more information from NSW Fisheries on the issue, please visit our web site on www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au"

[basserman]

Something fishy: how long does your catch live off the hook?
13 March 2004
NSW Fisheries has released preliminary results from a Sydney-based fishing research project.

The results, from the Botany Bay Catch and Release Research Challenge, looked at the rate of survival for different fish, caught and released by anglers.

The early results show that more than 75% of the fish caught and released during the study, on the weekend of 14-15 February this year, survived.

More than 200 recreational fishers, on 95 boats, participated in the massive recreational fishing study on Botany Bay, to help us learn more about the impact of recreational fishing on fish stocks.

This is the first in a series of experiments to assess the survival rates of fish that are caught and released.

Overall, 351 fish were caught, and classified according to how they were captured - with bait or lure - and according to what type of bait was used.

Early results indicate that survival rates vary considerably between species. For example:
97.8% of trevally survived;
72.3% of bream survived; and
68.8 % of snapper survived.

The $430,000 project two-year project is jointly funded by the Recreational Saltwater Trust ($299,000) and NSW Fisheries.

People are very keen to know how they can catch and release fish while ensuring the recreational fishing industry is as sustainable as possible.

Catch-and-release fishing is an important way of conserving our precious fish resources.

NSW Fisheries scientists are now conducting more detailed research on the results of this study.

One in three people who live in NSW are recreational fishers, pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the economy each year. This research is part of the Government’s on-going efforts to ensure the sustainability of recreational fishing.

FISH-FRIENDLY PRACTICES:

Bring the fish in quickly - a long fight stresses a fish and it is more likely to die.

Cut the line rather than removing hooks from gut or gills.

Use barbless hooks - unhooking is easier if you flatten barbs on hooks, or use single hooks on lures.

Avoid lifting the fish from the water.

Wet your hands if you must lift the fish from the water.

If you put the fish down to take the hook out, put it on a smooth, wet surface, or a piece of vinyl-covered foam. Fish skin is easily injured.

Don't use a net to pick the fish up, unless it is of knotless mesh. Knotted polypropylene landing nets damage a fish's skin and eyes.

Upon release, help a fish regain equilibrium, by holding it upright in the water and moving it to and fro for a while.

[basserman]

earily days yet but i bet the survial rateof the snapper shocked a few of you!

[Brissyguy]

Hmmmmm makes you wonder how they can tell the fish actually survived ???
Is it because they swam off, maybe to die elsewhere. :-/

[basserman]

they put them in holding pens in botney bay i belive??? crsio helped so lets hope if is fairly true

[jeffo]

why is it we always see all this great work being done by NSW fisheries? when are the QLD fisheries going to start doing similar stuff.
its great to see such things.
i was reading an old "sport and game fishing" mag the other night and noticed a write up on sonic tracking of billfish and tuna's... some of the info that comes from it is very interesting and gives an insight into how we might be able to better our fishing!

[NQCairns]

How did each fisher that caught a fish tow the holding pen with their boat? If that is not the case and they had transport each fish. What was the Data logged temperature, 02 reading etc for the journey. This at a press release level looks all but junk science well not science, anyway glad to see someone got or is getting a PHD or contract out of the public money though. I really do fail to see the point of this PR. nq

[basserman]

i can see a point after all we need to soon or later know what damage we are doing to a fish after we catch it!
it was done pretty much the way the bream and bass comps are done with livewells and offiacile boats going around collecting the fish and loggin any data as they went after all the fish were caught logged in as ether a bait or lure fish sorted into size and spices they where then place into holding pens from which the resurchers were able to moniter any after affect from getting caught

it isn't posable for us to say that every fish we catch and relese will live and thats what they are trying to do find out how many live so they can better inform us how to handle them to maximise their chances

[NQCairns]

Thanks Basserman for the info, I am blind to any particular states fisheries now but after doing time in this area myself I can guarantee the welfare of the fish or any recreational fishing style etc is not their first or last consideration for this research.

If they randomly only took fish that would have been returned to the water within the 15 - 45 seconds it takes an average fisherman to release most catches, and the water they released into was straight out of where caught etc, etc it may have some merit. I guess the unrealistic way that it was done allows the 75% to be an absolute worst case for recreational fishing #(but I wouldn't repeat his to anyone as a study, more a survey).
I suspect any further surveys along the same lines will have wide ranging final figures. A person has to start somewhere even if it is worthless outside of PR value or other vested interest groups. I have made a lot of assumptions about how the survey was conducted and could be wrong in this case. They know they are dealing with Joe blow fisherman and public emotion here, I doubt they would pull this on the commercial fishermans association without lots of laughter from their side.
Just my view.They dont pay me anymore so I can have a real one ;D cheers nq

[Captian_Zero]

Jeffo

This may be a bit controversial, but could it be that the NSW Fisheries has access to funds from Recreational fishing licences, something the Qld Fisheries don't have?

[Kerry]

how long does your catch live?

Well after the second wack, probably not real long at all.

Cheers, Kerry.

[basserman]

LOL@kerry ;D

[jeffo]

i was reading an article today that steve starling wrote about catch and release and it contained some similar information. it was an inspirational read and had some bloody good motives and info!