BONEFISH CATCH & RELEASE

Project Title: Reducing Catch & Release Mortality in Bonefish through Sublethal Assessments

Although the bonefish is clearly an important icon of the recreational fishing industry, there is little known about the effects of different angling practices on these fish. Research has been done on mortality and behavior of bonefish after release, but no work has been done on the sub-lethal physiological effects of catch & release angling. Although knowing the number of fish that die as a result of catch & release angling is essential for basic fisheries management activities, sub-lethal effects can reduce the health of released fish, which may have longer term effects. Conservation-minded anglers and guides are looking to fisheries managers and scientists for catch & release guidelines to use with bonefish.

Recent efforts to reduce mortality in other gamefish have been highly successful. For example, initial mortality rates in bass fishing tournaments have been dramatically reduced by using results for physiological research to establish scientifically-informed management strategies. Recent work on Pacific salmon has revealed that exposing fish to low speed swimming can actually lead to the rapid recovery of fish that were initially categorized as “dead”. There is an urgent need for similar studies on bonefish that aim to develop strategies to minimize stress and maximize survival. Research is ongoing to determine the physiological effect of catch and release on bonefish.

• Total Project Cost: $285,000
• Matching Funds: $250,000
• Requested Funds: $35,000