Injury during fight or while landing fish
Fish are often injured as we drag them over rocks or over dry
sand.
Before you start fishing ask yourself :
“Can I get the fish out here without dragging over something
that will hurt it?”
How can I stop the fish from ending up in the dry sand?
If I hook a big cracker where could I land it safely?
AIR EXPOSURE is in my opinion one of the
biggest problems in catch and release
Rainbow trout – Fish were chase around in a tank for 30s to simulate the fight.
Some fish were exposed to air for 30s – 38% died
Others were exposed to air for 60s – 72% died (Ferguson and Tufts,
1992).
.
Rockbass - Fish that were in air for 30 s required 2 h for full cardiac recovery
Fish that were in air for 180 required 4 h to fully recover (Cooke et al
2001).
Different fish species will vary in their sensitivity to air exposure. Eg Galjoen and
Yellowbellies are quite tough. Most fish will be sensitive when the sea is warm.
However we should all try to reduce air exposure when handling fish that are to be
released.