Recreational fishing including catch and release is practiced by hundreds of millions of people globally, raising welfare questions about fish pain, stress, and injury during angling.
Catch and release recreational fishing involves real welfare costs to individual fish that are increasingly recognised as sentient animals capable of experiencing pain and stress. The welfare case for catch and release is that it causes less total harm than keep fishing because fish survive, but this does not mean catch and release is welfare-neutral. Best practice guidelines substantially reduce harm: barbless hooks, wet hands to protect mucous coating, minimal air exposure, and proper revival in moving water are evidence-based practices that improve post-release outcomes. The fishing community has generally engaged constructively with welfare science, and adoption of best practice continues to improve.