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Do Catch-and-Release Guidelines from State and Provincial Fisheries Agencies in North America Conform to Scientifically Based Best Practices?

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Abstract

Many recreational anglers practice catch-and-release angling, where fish are returned to the water with the presumption that they will survive. However, not all fish survive, and those that do often experience sublethal consequences including injury and stress. There is compelling scientific evidence that angler behavior and gear choice can affect the success of catch-and-release as a management and conservation strategy. Because anglers often look to government natural resource agencies for guidance on how to handle and release fish properly, there is a need to assess whether their outreach materials are readily accessible and provide the necessary and correct information on the subject. Therefore, on-line catch-and-release guidelines developed by state and provincial natural resource agencies across North America were evaluated to determine whether their guidelines were consistent with the best available scientific information. This analysis revealed that there was immense variation in the depth and breadth of coverage among jurisdictions. Agency guidelines contradicted one another in several areas including air exposure, angling in deep water, venting trapped gases, and resuscitation. In many cases, the guidelines failed to provide sufficient direction to actually be of use to anglers or provide direction consistent with contemporary scientific literature. This analysis will assist with developing outreach materials that promote sustainable recreational fisheries and in maintaining the welfare status of individual fish.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Fred Michel, Ildi Munro, the Institute of Environmental Science at Carleton University, and the Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory at Carleton University. Robert Arlinghaus and James Bohnsack kindly provided comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. This research was supported by funds from Carleton University, the Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindberg Foundation, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the Rainy Lake Fisheries Trust, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada

    Christine Pelletier & Steven J. Cooke

  2. Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Ottawa Carleton Institute of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada

    Kyle C. Hanson

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  1. Christine Pelletier
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  2. Kyle C. Hanson
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  3. Steven J. Cooke
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Correspondence to Steven J. Cooke.

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Pelletier, C., Hanson, K.C. & Cooke, S.J. Do Catch-and-Release Guidelines from State and Provincial Fisheries Agencies in North America Conform to Scientifically Based Best Practices?. Environmental Management 39, 760–773 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-006-0173-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-006-0173-2

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