Recreational fishing that involves catch-and-release may seem like just good fun, and that released fish go on to live happily ever after, but a recent study at the University of Illinois shows that improper handling techniques by anglers can increase the likelihood of released fish being caught by predators.
After the stress of the catch and lack of oxygen from being out of water, the fish is in a weakened state. When it eventually gets released back into the water, if fish havent been handled properly, they are more likely to be caught by a predator.
A study on the effects of catch-and-release angling on bonefish which was conducted by a team led by University of Illinois researcher Cory Suski. The article is available online in the journal Comparative Biochemical and Physiology Part A and will be published in an upcoming issue.
"Whenever a fish is caught and reeled in, it expends a lot of energy so that's one stressor," said Suski. Depending upon the skill of the angler, the catching can last a long time and put additional stress on the fish. When the fish is brought up on the deck or in the boat to measure and take a picture, it faces an additional challenge and cannot obtain enough oxygen, and the fish continues to accumulate physiological disturbances. "Our recommendation to catch-and-release sport anglers is that they minimize the time it takes to actually land the fish and take a picture, and then get it back into the water as soon as possible."
Suski's goal isn't to eliminate catch-and-release sport fishing; in fact he hopes the research will help conserve fish populations and the economic benefits from recreational fishing.
How long can a fish be out of water" Results from the study showed that both the duration of an exercise bout (the catch) longer than four minutes, as well as the length of exposure to air, will result in a proportional increase in negative effects on the fishes' physiological condit
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| Contact: Debra Levey Larson dlarson@uiuc.edu 217-244-2880 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Source:Eurekalert |
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