Why Conservation is Important to Anglers

The same basic conservation tip applies to all angles whether fishing in fresh or saltwater. You need to obey the laws regarding the sport. These laws were put into place for the preservation of game species. Following the laws regarding size, seasons, and limits will help maintain various fish populations at sustainable levels for generations of anglers to come.

When planning a fishing trip, take the time to learn as much about the type of fish and laws that regulate their season as possible. Your first benefit from this will be that you will stay out of jail and avoid paying expensive fines. Learning about the species will arm you with the information about the best way to catch the fish. It will also give you insight into why the regulations are in place for that particular type of fish.

Knowing this will guide you in whether to practice catch and release or to just keep the fish that are caught. If there are size limits for your catch, you have to release those that do not fall within the guidelines. Some fish cannot be kept below a certain size. Others have a lower and upper limit. In the one case, it allows for larger fish to be available later to anglers. In the other case, it assures an adequate breeding stock will survive the fishing season.

After learning and following the rules, you need to learn the proper way to catch and handle the fish that you intend to release. It does little good to release a fish that you have damaged too much for it to survive. If you can get the fish off of your hook without taking it from the water, you have done a great service to the fish.

On the other hand, if you pull the fish from the water, take 15 or 20 pictures of you holding it in a dozen different poses and pass it around to friends and family, you have sealed the fate of the fish before you ever attempt to return it to the water. The same is true if you choose to use tackle that is not matched to your anticipated catch.

Broken lines that are attached to the wrong type of hooks will just prolong the agony of the fish before death claims it. If you overtax the fish before landing it, you will return a fish to the water who lacks the energy and strength to feed properly or to avoid predator fish.

Things like using undersized game fish for bait is a bad idea. Besides being illegal, you are destroying your own sport before you get to enjoy it. Overfishing can reduce populations until they no longer have a season offered. However, returning every fish to the water may have the same effect if too many fish survive and deplete the food available for the species. Many will die from disease and starvation.

Conservation has a certain amount of environmental concerns, too. Avoiding the temptation to litter even when out to sea is important. Many man made substances do not erode in the natural and create hazards in the habitat that furnishes the fish to anglers. Even some fishing equipment like fishing line can be a problem.