Recreational angling in the UK involves millions of fish annually. Catch-and-release practices and handling standards significantly affect fish welfare outcomes.
The sentience recognition of fish has significant implications for angling practices. Fish experience stress, pain and fear responses during capture. Best practice - barbless hooks, wet hands, minimal air exposure, immediate unhooking, camera in the water not above it - reduces welfare costs substantially. Some fisheries are adopting mandatory welfare standards. The tension between the legitimate recreational value of angling and fish welfare will be resolved through improved practices rather than blanket prohibition.