CUMULATIVE IMPACT
Recovery
•No fitness effects
•No disease
•Minimal injury
•Minimal sublethal stress
Survival
Injury
Disease/fungus
Sublethal stress
Fitness impact
Mortality
Angling activity Potential problem Possible result
Fish hooked Tissue damage Injury
AVOID THIS
SITUATION
TARGET FOR
CATCH AND
RELEASE
Death
Where the fish is hooked is generally the most important factor
influencing fish survival (Bartholomew and Bohnsack 2005)
Study on the survival of dusky kob (Argyrosomus japonicus)
• Very few kob died when they were mouth hooked
• 73% of kob died when they swallowed the hook and the
angler removed it.
•Only 16% died when they swallowed it and the angler cut
the line 5cm from the hook.
•Many of these fish got rid of the hooks within 5 days.
(BUTCHER et al 2007)
ANGLERS SHOULD CUT THE LINE (5CM AWAY FROM THE
HOOK) WHEN FISH SWALLOW THE HOOK TO OPTIMISE