Recreational fishing causes pain and stress to billions of fish annually. Evidence-based best practices for catch-and-release and humane kill methods can substantially reduce this suffering.
Recreational angling is one of the highest-volume human-wildlife interactions globally, with billions of fish caught annually. The evidence that fish experience pain and stress from capture is now scientifically mainstream. Welfare-conscious angling involves minimizing hook injury (barbless hooks, circle hooks), minimizing air exposure and handling time, using appropriate terminal tackle to land fish quickly, and choosing kill methods (spiking or percussive stunning) that cause rapid death when not releasing. The shift from viewing fish as insensible to recognizing their sentience is transforming best practice guidance across fishing communities.