Is sportfishing unethical?

[Nospherith]

Is it unethical for an aquarist to fish now that he/she is more enlightened about the fish? As I'm about to defrost a recent catch of wild trout, I was just wondering what some of your thoughts were about sportfishing. Keep in mind that sportfishing involves hooking the fish and eventually "dressing" it.

 

[jimbooo]

put it this way, if you were to put a dover sole in front of me with a slice of lemon and nice crispy veg it'd be gone in the blink of an eye.

i'd be a hypocrit if i were to moan about the people who put that fish on my plate in the first place.

As to sport fishing it depends what were talking about i suppose. obviously anything rare or protected should be left in peace and i do feel that you should take home what you catch and eat it. so to summarise my rambling if your fishing for fun but intend to take home and cook your catch then it's okay. fishing for inedible monsters which are only going to be stressed out, subjected to an hour long tug of war, then have the line cut leaving a big barbed hook in its gob (like big catfish, marlin etc..) is in the whole okay for the layman who doesn't know better but rather unethical for the aquarist.

tricky one, nice topic.

 

[SPLiSH]

I voted Not Sure.... it's everyone's own descision, but I don't fish for these reasons:

- I put time, money and love into caring for my pet fish, so I see it as very strange to purposely cause pain to the same type of animal, simply because they aren't my pets.

- There is no shortage of fish in the shops! Why rip a living being from it's home when fresh fish is a short trip away?

- I'd hate to kill a healthy being... it's sad enough having to put a beloved pet to sleep when it is too sick to live happily.

Please bear in mind that these are just my humble opinions and I don't want to offend anyone.

 

[ChrisCook]

I have fished for most of my life and am intrigued by this thread.

I do both carp fishing and fly fishing for trout.

All the carp I catch are photographed and safely returned.
Some of the trout I catch are returned but most are killed - I have no problems in doing this.
I also fish a lot of competitions and there are some huge fish kills that go on - in the competition there could easily be upwards of 500 fish killed. That's a lot of fish but the point behind this is - the fish are bred to be caught. Without anglers those fish would not have been bred.

I've fished all over the world and there is a basic instinct in nature that draws people to fishing.

I've driven to catch and kill fish all my life and now ironically I'm struggling to keep fish in my tank alive!

Oh the ironies of life!

 

[playfulalliecat]

I too fish. I love my fish in my tanks as much as anyone but I enjoy catching fish. Normally I practice catch and release. I do not keep the fish out of water any longer than necessary, and always handle the fish with wet hands to protect the slime coat. I do eat fish and when I am at a pond or other more controlled environment, I keep what I catch unless they are just too small. In the lakes where I live, I am afraid to eat what I catch. There is so much pollution and such, I am afraid of the mercury content and/or other toxins that may be present.

I would never go out and kill fish I am not planning to eat. I do not feel that is right. Nor do I mount fish to hang on my walls.

 

[Idris]

I once heard about the following graffiti:

Don’t kill what you wouldn’t eat. (crossed out)
Don’t eat what you wouldn’t kill. (crossed out)
Don’t kill. (crossed out)
Don’t eat.

I don't kill tetras.
I don't eat tetras.
I do kill salmonoids.
I do eat salmonoids.

 

[CFC]

Im a keen freshwater and sea angler spending much of my free time by water trying to catch fish, 99% of my fishing is catch and release and is done with small babrbless hooks to minimise any suffering. I am also a big eater of fish and sea food so you could say fish play a pretty big part in my life
I see nothing wrong with catch and release angling or the carefull angler who takes a few fish home for his own table, the only time i see a problem is when i see kids with no morals catching and then abusing fish for fun.

 

[rdd1952]

I do both carp fishing and fly fishing for trout.

All the carp I catch are photographed and safely returned.

[snapback]882847[/snapback]​

I used to fish for carp all the time at several prize lakes around this area but I haven't done that in years. We also released everything we caught after weighing them.

As for fishing in general. I still fish some when I go to the beach. Probably will this weekend as a matter of fact. That's a tough question. This will be the first time I have fished since I started keeping fish but it's not like I'm feeling guilty or anything. I do release anything that I catch. I'm too lazy to clean and cook them. And I don't really want to kill them either for that matter. I'll cast a don't know vote.

 

[willtang3000]

I myself do coarse fishing and I don't think its unethical because here in the uk you have to put the fish back after you have caught them (you can take sea fish though)and in return the fish get fed.Fishing is also good because when your fishing over 12 you have to get a liscence and the money used to buy the liscences in return is used to go back to help the fishes in anyway possible

 

[Griz]

Nothing better than a fresh-caught Brook Trout shore lunch!

I generally practice catch and release, but sometimes keep some for the table. Those to be kept are dispatched as quickly and painlessly as possible and those that are not are treated with care are released. I think that my interest in fish-keeping has made me a more responsible angler and I also believe that I have helped instill a respect for fish in those I angle with.

 

[Barracuda518]

I also fish a lot, both saltwater and freshwater. The fish I catch mostly are not fish you would put in an aquarium (largemouth bass, bream). Most of the fish I catch are much stronger then the fish in a home aquarium. I dont see a problem with it as long as you dont abuse it. If you really want to get technical, what about eating plants? They are a living thing too. I guess its all up to each individual, either way fishing or not fishing is ok with me B)


EDIT: Spelling error

 

[CFC]

Fishing is also good because when your fishing over 12 you have to get a liscence and the money used to buy the liscences in return is used to go back to help the fishes in anyway possible

If only that were true the majority of the money raised from fishing licenses gets spent on creating moorings for boats and maintaining the locks which they use to navigate the rivers, which means more and more areas of the rivers get NO FISHING signs errected as boat owners and anglers dont mix well. Private fisheries dont get a penny of the license money even though you still have to buy one to fish there.

 

[playfulalliecat]

With this topic in mind, I was thinking about how in areas where our aquarium fish come from, some are considered delicacies. Oscars, plecos, and various catfish and cichlids are eaten in their natural areas. I do think I would find it strange to eat a fish, I look at in my tank everyday.

Guess it's not different from us eating the native fish.

 

[ChrisCook]

Incidentally, if anyone here fly fishes then PM me as I have a special offer for forum members

 

[GSD]

it totally depends for me
on the type of fish and method of catching.
I think its much better they put the fish back though.
One thing i dont agree with is someone taking a fish from a lake and putting it into a tank.....i think the fish would rather have the space