Sport Fishing and Fish Welfare: Evidence and Ethics of Catch-and-Release

Recreational fishing is one of the most widespread human-wildlife interactions, and evidence that fish experience pain has prompted growing scrutiny of angling practices — particularly the welfare implications of catch-and-release fishing.

Key Facts

Over 700 million people fish recreationally worldwide, making angling one of the largest human-wildlife interaction activities globally
Fish have nociceptors, endogenous opioids, and neural pathways necessary for pain processing — the scientific consensus on fish sentience has shifted substantially in recent decades
Hooking fish causes measurable physiological stress responses including cortisol spikes, escape behaviour, and behavioural changes consistent with pain
Catch-and-release fishing prolongs the stress experience and can cause exhaustion, acid-base imbalance, and delayed mortality in released fish
Deep hooking in the gut or gills causes significantly higher post-release mortality than lip hooking — hook type and placement have major welfare implications
Barbless hooks, minimising air exposure, and using landing nets reduce handling injury and improve post-release survival significantly
Lure fishing and fly fishing typically cause lower injury rates than bait fishing, as fish are more likely to be lip-hooked rather than gut-hooked

Welfare Considerations

The ethics of recreational fishing are being re-examined in light of growing scientific evidence that fish experience pain. Catch-and-release, often presented as the welfare-conscious choice, extends the period of pain and stress rather than ending it quickly, and can cause delayed mortality not captured in immediate release assessments. The welfare implications of angling do not necessarily demand that all fishing cease, but they do demand that anglers minimise harm through equipment choices, handling practices, and honest engagement with the evidence about fish pain. Best practice angling — barbless hooks, wet hands, minimal air exposure — can substantially reduce welfare harm.

What You Can Do

Use barbless hooks to reduce injury and make hook removal easier and less traumatic for fish
Minimise the time fish are out of water — best practice is under 30 seconds for most species
Keep fish in the water in a landing net rather than on dry ground while removing hooks
Wet your hands before handling fish to avoid removing their protective mucus layer
Consider whether to kill fish for food rather than practising catch-and-release — a quick death may cause less total suffering
Choose lure or fly fishing over bait fishing to reduce gut-hooking rates
Engage honestly with the welfare evidence about fish pain when discussing angling ethics