Sustainable fish populations

This blog entry is my submission for the GreenFish and Outdoor Blogger Network Writing Prompt Giveaway.

Sustainable fishing to me is people just being smart. People following the rules and smart people being in the right positions to make the right decisions on how to manage fish in a particular area.

We can't have people out catching more than their limit. I have seen too many times where people go and catch their limit, walk to their trailer, then come back to the lake and catch another limit. I'm not saying that everything should be catch and release, but I do think a limit is plenty.

On Sunday night on the show The Wild Within, the host made a comment that people who catch and release are misunderstanding the call of the wild. I guess his theory is that fishing is meant to catch food only. I think that statement alienated over half of his viewing base. In the show, while he was giving his point of view he was fishing for food off of a pier in San Fransisco. The only thing he caught was a mountain bike frame. Maybe if the people of San Fran practiced catch and release more he would have caught more fish.

I practice catch and release regularly, unless I actually do feel like fish for dinner. For the most part I don't use treble hooks, which I believe produces a higher mortality rate of caught fish, although I don't have any research to cite.

I believe that there are many great projects out there to help fish populations. In the valley I live in there are two fish hatcheries and a few different organizations that help rebuild habitat. Along with community awareness I think, at least in my area, our fish populations will be around for a while.