FishSmart: Results of A Workshop on the Survival of Angler Caught and Released Fish

Marine fisheries today are posing increasingly difficult challenges for fisheries managers.  Twenty-one percent of stocks are overfished and 17% are “subject to overfishing” by NOAA’s definitions. In addition to mortality from directed fishing activities, incidental by-catch mortality in commercial fisheries and release mortality in recreational catch-and-release fisheries contribute to the overall mortality on fish stocks.  The problems associated with incidental recreational mortality are particularly evident in snapper and grouper fisheries in the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico fisheries where dead discards may exceed retained catch for some species (e.g. Gulf of Mexico gag grouper). Similarly, high release mortality constrains the recreational fishery for Pacific rockfish (Sebastes spp.) fisheries. In March, 2011, scientists, managers, and representatives of the recreational fishing community gathered to evaluate the current state of science related to marine catch and release, with particular emphasis on fisheries subject to high barotrauma-related mortality. Workshop goals focused on identifying science-based best practices and equipment to increase the survival of released fish. Communication mechanisms to convey workshop results to anglers were also developed.  Gaps in the current state of knowledge that are in need of additional research efforts/funding were identified and recommendations to management bodies were developed that could reduce the interaction (and lethality of interactions) in fisheries susceptible to high release mortality.