Subject: Environmental Vandalism/Self Rightiousism

From: [email-masked](brett rowley)
Date: 26 Apr 1996 12:24:06 GMT

Hey people,

I'm asking for your help here.  This guy (Craig) has been stirring the
pot over in the fishing groups.  He is basically of the opinion that
catch and release fishing destroys a fishery, that mortalities
associated with same are unacceptable, that sportfishermen are
deplorable, and that catch and release fishing should be banned. 
Please not that he has not advocated banning fishing altogether, just
catch and release as done for sporting purposes.

My opinion opposes his.  My contention is that sportfishing is a fun
and healthy outdoor sport, that it allows the conservation of the
resource, that done properly the mortalities associated with it are
very low, that sportfishermen (people) are mostly good, conservation
minded folk, and that catch and release should be encouraged as a means
to conserving the resource.  Now I have admitted I don't know diddly
about billfishing and restrict my comments to largemouth bass
fisheries, which I have a 20 year career in.  I have been part of this
group for about 2 years now and many of you have seen a post or two by
me.  I've always tried to contribute in a positive manner.  

My job is at a catch and release bass fishery.  I can testify that we
have had very little mortality and our fishery is very heavily used, by
families, children, non-fishermen (people), as well as by avid
fishermen.  As many as 1000 bass a weekend are caught from 2 X 100 acre
lakes, and released.  Mortalities are less than 1 fish a week.  Now, I
need some help in finding some modern day studies that support my view.
I would also like to hear from any of you that may have worked on same,
or even on some of the old studies he quotes from the seventies that
supports his view.  

I thank the entire group in advance, and I would like to hear from
either view.

Brett Rowley
Fisheries Biologist
Great Lakes Sportfishing Resort and Koi Breeding Farm
West Columbia, Texas

---

From: [email-masked] (Alex Bielak)
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 96 17:11:45 GMT

I think a reply is merited if only because the "animal righters" are going
to become ever-more of a factor. I have been involved in a series of 
multi-agency studies on catch and release of wild Atlantic salmon. Bruce Tufts 
and I recently did an article which appeared in the fall issue of Wild 
Steelhead and Atlantic Salmon Magazine in which we detailed the evolution of 
catch and release fishing for AS in N. America as well as giving preliminary 
results of some of the studies. 

This raised a lot of interest and the piece has been reprised in several other 
publications. Bruce's group at Queen's has been involved in C&R studies of 
both bass and salmon and the results have been widely published in both the 
primary literature (more papers either in press or in the works) and in 
magazines, including WS&AS, Rod and Reel and the Atlantic salmon Journal.

The bottom line from the salmon work is that in cold water release situations 
mortalities are minimal (probably less than 5%, but that in warmer waters IF 
FISH TAKE then one can expect highter mortalities. The results have led to 
extensions of salmon angling seasons across the east coast.

In article <[email-masked]>,
   [email-masked](brett rowley) wrote:
>My opinion opposes his.  

SNIP  Now, I

---

From: [email-masked] (Steve)
Date: 2 May 1996 01:55:51 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] says...
>to become ever-more of a factor. 

  Here is the contention in my opinion.  I do not object to Catch and release, 
but I don't condone it either.  Brett and myself discussed this although I 
don't think he's talking about me, as I wasn't raising a "stink".  My opinion 
is in plain words if I say I catch and release, the animal right groups have 
tons of ammo to use against the fishermen, but if I say I catch and eat...well, 
they don't have a leg to stand on.  You have all heard the arguement, fishing 
is cruel, I've even heard worms have feelings too. I've heard it all in my 20 
years of fishery management. Waters that are subject to pollution, dams, the 
commercial guys, etc. are an exception, then Catch em and let em go, I'm ok 
with that.  But to release a fish just to feel good about themselves and think 
they are helping the population in a good put and take fishery is ludicrous.

-Steve-

---

From: "Larry A. Fisher" <[email-masked]>
Date: 10 May 1996 19:17:27 GMT

Brett, you have my whole-hearted support. I've always been and always 
will be a fisherman. Heck, look at my surname. Think my family has 
fishing in its' blood? I don't have any studies, and quite frankly I 
don't believe we need them in this newsgroup or any other purtaining to 
fishing. I will not justify what I do, legally, to Craig Arfman, K, or 
any other self absorbed twit in the AR movement. 

I wish I could offer you some help though, because I understand your 
scientific interest and concern. All I do is give my money to 
organizations like GCCA to do the work that one individual could not 
possibly do.

I used to bass fish exclusively until I caught my first redfish. Well, 
I've been a salt water angler ever since.

Don't give up or give in -  we are right. 

Larry Fisher
[email-masked]