Bream, roach, and other common cyprinid fish are among the most frequently caught freshwater fish in European angling. Their welfare in recreational fishing is largely unexamined.
Keep nets used in competitive fishing compress large numbers of bream and roach into a confined space for many hours. Research shows that fish in keep nets experience elevated cortisol, oxygen stress, and physical injury from abrasion and collision. Shared keep nets facilitate parasite and disease transmission between individual fish. The hook injury itself — often through lip tissue — causes measurable pain responses. While catch-and-release fishing has better welfare outcomes than retention, the cumulative stress of repeated catching and handling is significant for fish in heavily fished waters.