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Showing posts from October, 2017

Billfish catch and release vs Kill

Billfish Catch and release vs Kill Billfish anglers have a lot to be proud of in terms of conservation over the past several decades. The adoption of circle hooks has done wonders for both increasing the number of fish we see in our spreads as well as lowering post-release mortality. Releasing marlin instead of killing them is also the accepted norm now and, for the most part, long gone are the days where billfish are strung up at the dock just to see them twist in the wind. All of this is great, but the debate still ensues whether it’s acceptable (socially, biologically or otherwise) to kill a ­billfish, and the controversy remains. In order to objectively address the question, let’s first try to put recreational billfish harvest into context. In the Atlantic, for example, the United States has the largest recreational billfish fishery. Since 2001, ICCAT has capped the U.S. at a maximum annual harvest of 250 blue and white marlin combined. Annual landings are typically