Recreational fishing is one of the most widespread human interactions with wild fish, with handling welfare depending critically on technique, timing, and care during catch-and-release.
Catch-and-release fishing welfare depends on minimising the cumulative stress of capture, fight time, handling, and air exposure. Fish undergo significant physiological stress during the fight including lactic acid accumulation, oxygen depletion, and cortisol elevation. Adding air exposure and warm water further compromises survival. Anglers who care about fish welfare use barbless hooks, keep fish in water throughout unhooking, minimise fight time by using appropriate tackle weight, and release in cool, well-oxygenated water. These practices dramatically improve post-release survival.