Reddit User Complains How People Believe Catch-and-Release Fishing is Not Cruel

Recently, a Reddit user posted on the forum r/Vegan about how irritating it is to hear people say that catch-and-release style fishing is fine for the fish.

i hate the praise “catch and release” videos get on reddit. and the bending over backwards to explain how it’s fine for the fish.
byu/madmansmarker invegan

The user explained that they saw a video on Reddit where someone caught a deep sea fish and “basically tortures it to show it off in the video.”

“Because it’s a “C&R”, people are proverbially patting the guy on the back as if he didn’t just bring a deep sea fish out of depth (or at the very least, further injure a creature who is out of depth due to illness), hook it with something that will cause it to bleed, and exhaust it for a pointless video so it can’t even easily escape predators.”

While catch-and-release fishing may seem like a more humane alternative to catch and keep fishing, unfortunately, it’s not. Catching a fish, even if it’s just for a brief period, can cause physical harm such as injury, exhaustion, and stress. The fish may also experience damage to their mouth, fins, and scales from the fishing equipment, which can make it difficult for them to swim and survive in their natural habitat.

“Imagine if someone jammed a hook into a dog’s mouth, pulled them underwater for a few minutes and then dumped them back on the ground just as a fun way to pass the time. People are fucked up. They will do anything to anyone as long as it’s socially acceptable,” one user commented.

Fish can also experience psychological stress when they are caught and then released back into their environment. The stress of being caught can leave the fish disoriented, confused, and susceptible to predators, which can ultimately lead to their death. Catch-and-release fishing can also disrupt the ecosystem by creating an imbalance in the natural population of fish. When larger fish are caught and released, they may not be able to mate and produce offspring, which can negatively impact the overall health and sustainability of the fish population.

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