Yes, throwing fish back can significantly hurt them, leading to severe stress, injuries, and a reduced chance of survival. While often done with good intentions, the process of being caught and released can inflict considerable harm on fish.
The Impact of Catch and Release on Fish
Although many anglers practice catch and release to conserve fish populations, the act itself is not without consequences. Fish are highly sensitive creatures, and the trauma they endure can have lasting and often fatal effects.
Physiological Stress and Shock
When a fish is caught, it undergoes a profound physiological stress response, akin to a "fight or flight" reaction. This intense struggle can lead to:
- Lactic Acid Buildup: The exertion causes a rapid accumulation of lactic acid in their muscles, similar to what humans experience during strenuous exercise. This can lead to muscle fatigue, organ damage, and even death.
- Oxygen Deprivation: Being removed from water, even for a short period, deprives fish of oxygen. This can result in respiratory distress and suffocation.
- Disorientation and Shock: The combination of physical exertion, lack of oxygen, and the sudden change in environment can cause severe shock, leading to disorientation, loss of equilibrium, and in many cases, death shortly after release. Fish who are caught and then returned to the water suffer such severe physiological stress that they often die of shock.
Physical Injuries and Vulnerability
Beyond the internal physiological trauma, fish often sustain physical injuries during the catching and handling process. These injuries can range from minor to life-threatening:
- Hook Wounds: Hooks can cause punctures to the mouth, gills, esophagus, or even internal organs. These wounds can become infected, impair feeding ability, or lead to slow death.
- Scale and Slime Coat Loss: Handling, especially with dry hands, can remove the protective slime coat and scales. This compromises the fish's natural barrier against parasites, bacteria, and fungal infections, making them more susceptible to disease.
- Fin and Eye Damage: Thrashing during the fight or improper handling can tear fins, damage eyes, or break bones. Such injuries can impair swimming ability, making it difficult for the fish to escape predators or hunt for food.
- Barotrauma: Fish caught from deeper waters experience rapid changes in pressure when brought to the surface. This can cause their swim bladder to expand, leading to internal organ damage, eye bulging, or their stomach protruding from their mouth.
These injuries may make them easy targets for predators, as their ability to swim, evade, or hide is compromised.
To illustrate common injuries and their potential consequences:
| Injury Type | Description | Potential Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Hook Wounds | Punctures or tears to mouth, gills, or internal organs. | Infection, difficulty feeding, organ damage. |
| Scale Loss | Removal of protective scales, often from handling. | Increased susceptibility to disease, impaired osmoregulation. |
| Slime Coat Loss | Damage to the mucus layer protecting against pathogens. | Higher risk of bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infections. |
| Fin Damage | Tears or breaks in fins due to struggling or improper handling. | Impaired swimming, reduced agility, difficulty escaping predators. |
| Eye Damage | Direct trauma to the eyes, causing bruising or ruptures. | Vision impairment, increased vulnerability. |
| Barotrauma | Rapid pressure change affecting deep-water fish's swim bladder. | Organ rupture, inability to swim properly, buoyancy issues. |
Factors Influencing Post-Release Survival
While harm is often inevitable, careful practices can significantly mitigate the negative impacts and improve a fish's chances of survival after release.
Best Practices for Minimizing Harm
Implementing specific techniques can make a difference in post-release survival rates:
- Minimize Fight Time: Use appropriate tackle that allows you to land the fish quickly, reducing exhaustion.
- Handle with Care:
- Wet Hands: Always wet your hands before touching a fish to avoid removing its protective slime coat.
- Minimize Air Exposure: Keep the fish in the water as much as possible. If you must remove it, do so quickly and return it promptly.
- Support Its Weight: Support the fish horizontally, especially larger ones, to avoid damaging internal organs or spinal columns. Never hold a fish vertically by its jaw alone.
- Avoid Gills and Eyes: Do not touch the fish's gills or put fingers in its eye sockets.
- Proper De-hooking:
- Use Tools: Carry needle-nose pliers or de-hooking tools to remove hooks quickly and safely.
- Barbless Hooks: Crimp down barbs on hooks or use barbless hooks. These are much easier to remove, causing less tissue damage. Learn more about the benefits of barbless hooks here.
- Cut the Line: If a fish is deeply hooked and the hook cannot be removed easily without causing further damage, cut the line as close to the hook as possible. Studies show fish can often expel or encapsulate hooks over time.
- Gear Selection: Opt for circle hooks when bait fishing, as they are designed to hook fish in the corner of the mouth, reducing the chance of gut-hooking. Explore different hook types and their impact on fish mortality at this resource.
- Water Conditions: Avoid fishing for highly sensitive species during periods of high water temperature or low oxygen levels, as these conditions exacerbate stress and reduce survival chances. Understanding water quality and fish health is crucial for responsible angling.
- Revival: For exhausted fish, gently hold them upright in the water, facing into a mild current, until they regain their strength and can swim away independently.
When to Avoid Catch and Release
In certain situations, the chance of post-release survival is so low that it may be more humane to harvest the fish if regulations allow:
- Fish that are bleeding heavily, especially from the gills or internal organs.
- Fish that are deeply hooked and the hook cannot be removed without causing severe damage.
- Fish showing severe signs of stress, exhaustion, or barotrauma that prevents them from swimming normally.
- When water temperatures are exceptionally high, as this significantly increases stress and reduces oxygen availability for the fish.
Understanding Fish Sentience
It's increasingly recognized that fish are sentient beings capable of feeling pain and experiencing stress. Understanding this further emphasizes the ethical implications of catch and release fishing and highlights the importance of practicing the most humane methods possible.
