Is catch and release fishing cruel?
As a vegetarian I haven’t done much catch and release fishing. I’m not altogether against fishing, I used to kill lion fish when I was living in the Caribbean as they are an invasive fish. We would eat them, and help protect the juvenile native fish population. Hurting the fish without eating them seems a little cruel to me, what do you think?
Answers ( 1 )
Most catch-and-release fishing is done with barbless hooks, so not as cruel as you might think. Yes, the fish is still hooked, but the hook is easily removed by hand, and even if swallowed, a hook-remover tool will back it out easily. Then the fish is admired, and nicely slid back into the water, to go and swim some more.
My sister and brother in law practice catch-and-release when they guide fly fishers up around the Tahoe area. In Washington State, many of the streams are catch and release. Here in Arizona, well, I've yet to see a single fish actually caught, but some folks swear they've hooked a few. Don't want to call them liars, but....
I can understand the ease of believing catch-and-release is somehow cruel, but only if you anthropomorphize fish and other creatures with quite primitive brains. I don't think fish can forward-plan, and, without forward planning, well, the idea catch-and-release somehow traumatizes the fish for life is rather odd.