Catch and Release in Marine Recreational Fisheries

The Discourse about Catch and Release in Recreational Fishing in Europe: Implications for North America

Ø. Aas, C. E. Thailing, and R. B. Ditton

doi: https://doi.org/10.47886/9781888569308.ch27

The term “catch-and-release fishing,” defined as angling where all fish caught are released, has various meanings for anglers, conservationists, managers, scientists, and politicians. This paper presents and discusses alternative perspectives of catch and release in Europe. The discourse on catch and release in Europe is multifaceted with evidence of much contentiousness between anglers, biologists, and fishery managers. Instead of studying the extent and character of catch-and-release fishing in Europe (a Europe-wide angler survey would be required to achieve this), we have sought perspectives from nongovernmental organizations and governmental agencies.