RESPONSIBLE ANGLING

Recreational fishing is a popular leisure activity worldwide, however the potential negative impacts of angling can influence the sustainability of fish populations. When catching fish for consumption, recreational anglers have been estimated to harvest 12% annually of all fish landed worldwide. Even when anglers practice catch-and-release, fish are exposed to a range of stresses when caught and handled; the post-release mortality resulting from this form of conservation is often not accounted for when assessing the impacts of recreational fishing. Management measures and guidelines are frequently employed to control the actions of anglers and protect fish populations from the impacts of harvest and catch-and-release, but it is ultimately the anglers who must be confident that changes in their behavior will lead to the conservation of recreational fisheries if regulations and advocated best practices are to be employed.

Although the use of best practices will help the conservation of recreational fisheries, a vast majority of anglers are unsure of what best practices are, or how they can adapt their angling behavior to contribute to the sustainability of fish populations. In addition, the message of how to be a "responsible angler" is not effectively conveyed by the popular fishing media, angling-based web sites, angling community, regional and state governments, or even angling conservation organizations. To their credit, some organizations and governments do offer best handling practices for recreational angling, however most of the guidelines are based on anecdotes rather than rigorous, unbiased testing that has employed the scientific method. Quite often the message of how to be a conservation-minded angler is secondary, with learning how to catch a fish coming before how to care for a fish once it is caught. Much of the information provided by angling organizations is inconsistent and lacks the basics of how to safely handle and release fish or how to adequately care for their environment. Some organizations also provide a "code of ethics" for anglers that includes a conservation message, yet the level of detail related to this message is not sufficient to positively affect change in the actions of anglers when such a change in actions or behaviors could ultimately reduce the impacts of recreational angling on fish.

Simply saying "practice conservation" is not good enough.

CAMPAIGN PURPOSE

There is a clear need for a central source of reliable information that will help inform anglers about what it means to be conservation minded and how they can act more responsibly when catching fish and being in the aquatic environment. This is the role of Responsible Angling, whose goal it is to
help anglers put conservation into practice. By using clearly defined core values, Responsible Angling is working with the recreational angling industry, governments, non-government organizations, like-minded conservation groups, and the media to provide recreational anglers with a clear message of what conservation and best practices are.

Within the framework of the Fisheries Conservation Foundation, Responsible Angling is working with all of the campaigns to both highlight and tackle important issues related to the conservation of recreational fisheries. By taking this integrative approach, Responsible Angling, through its partnerships, will be able to build capacity and positively influence the conservation movement and the recreational angling community worldwide.

CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES

Responsible Angling is taking a collaborative approach within all sectors of the recreational angling community to determine the most effective ways to reach out and inform anglers about conservation best practices.

Through projects that facilitate discussions and information sharing among members of the angling community, Responsible Angling will help inform anglers about the fundamentals of fish biology and how this knowledge, along with the use of scientifically tested best practice, can positively influence the sustainability of recreational fisheries.

PARTNERSHIPS

Federation of Fly Fishers

Temple Fork Outfitters


Core Angling


CONTACT INFORMATION

You can contact the FFA campaign leadership by sending an email to:
Andy Danylchuk, RA program leader: info@responsibleangling.org
Sascha Danylchuk: RA at fishconserve.org