Releasing Mackerel

[LiamNE]

Thanks for your input lads

 

[Jeffrob445]

Jeffrob445 this is part of a reply from CEFAS on the same question asked by anglers a couple of years agoI and have a number of publications showing the results of all this work.

These are:

Lockwood, S. J., Pawson, M.G. and Mumford, B.C., 1977. "Effects of holding mackerel at different densities in nets of various sizes." M.A.F.F., Fish. Res. Tech. rep. No. 33, 10 pp


Pawson, M. G. and Lockwood, S. J., 1980. "Mortality of mackerel following physical stress, and its probable cause." I.C.E.S. rapp. proc. verb., 177: 439-443.


Holeton, G. F., M.G. Pawson & Shelton, G., 1982. "Gill ventilation, gas exchange and survival in the Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus L.)." Can. J. Zool, 60: 1141-1147.


Lockwood, S. J., M. G. Pawson and D. Eaton., 1983. "The effects of crowding on mackerel (Scomber scombrus L) - physical condition and mortality". Fisheries Research, 2: 129-147.


So, when anglers have caught enough mackerel for a fry or for bait, they should stop fishing for them unless they are using barbless hooks and can return the fish to the water without touching them.

Until I get the papers on inter library loan.... Sorry, but with my scientist hat firmly on, I'll reserve my final judgement till I've read the whole paper(s), I'm not disagreeing, it's just I'm not agreeing either!
My own instinct is that a hell of a lot of released mackerel do die, not due to handling, per se, rather due to being unable to recoup the massive amount of energy they expend in a relatively short time - they simply do not have the reserves left to fully function.
It wuld be interesting to look at the differences in mortality between fish caught on feathers (generally have little time to fight) and those caught individually (generally have a long fight).
I do fully agree with the barbless hooks and taking only what you need. I now only use circle hooks for all my angling, as greater than 95% of my catch is hooked in the scissors and as such is easily and quickly released, yes I accept, that I probably miss more fish than with conventional hooks, but I value the ability to unhook and release an unwanted fish as quickly as possible over hooking every bite.