Abstract
Post-release survival is the foundation of sustainability upon which most management plans for Gulf and Atlantic finfish exist. An inherent assumption is that a substantial percentage of fish survive capture. We critically evaluate the merits of leaving hooks in released fish. The work examines the degradation of commonly used hooks in recreational and commercial fisheries. Ten separate hook types, 4 commercial and 6 recreational, were used to represent a variety of fishing applications. Acid solution testing was run for a period of 3 months. Saltwater testing was done for a period of 6 months. These data suggest that seawater may have a greater effect on hooks than physiological acids. During approximately the same time period (95 days in seawater vs. 81 in acid), hooks in seawater degraded by up to 58% with an average of 16.51%, while hooks in acid degraded up to 50.7% with an average of 5.63%. This study raises more questions than it answers. Are the materials used in fishhooks the best choice for catch and release fishing? Are survival estimates best made based on the assumption that hooks corrode? Given the time frames in this study, will corroding hooks cause blood poisoning or other negative health effects before they are shed? We will continue to examine the data already collected. The results of this study suggest the need for additional work looking at possible negative health effects of embedded hooks and the need for more concrete data regarding the survival of fish with embedded hooks.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Robin Sherman, Dr. David Kerstetter
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-13-2012 1:00 PM
End Date
4-13-2012 5:30 PM
To Remove the Hook or Not: Degradation Rates of Fishing Hooks: Preliminary Results
Alvin Sherman Library
Post-release survival is the foundation of sustainability upon which most management plans for Gulf and Atlantic finfish exist. An inherent assumption is that a substantial percentage of fish survive capture. We critically evaluate the merits of leaving hooks in released fish. The work examines the degradation of commonly used hooks in recreational and commercial fisheries. Ten separate hook types, 4 commercial and 6 recreational, were used to represent a variety of fishing applications. Acid solution testing was run for a period of 3 months. Saltwater testing was done for a period of 6 months. These data suggest that seawater may have a greater effect on hooks than physiological acids. During approximately the same time period (95 days in seawater vs. 81 in acid), hooks in seawater degraded by up to 58% with an average of 16.51%, while hooks in acid degraded up to 50.7% with an average of 5.63%. This study raises more questions than it answers. Are the materials used in fishhooks the best choice for catch and release fishing? Are survival estimates best made based on the assumption that hooks corrode? Given the time frames in this study, will corroding hooks cause blood poisoning or other negative health effects before they are shed? We will continue to examine the data already collected. The results of this study suggest the need for additional work looking at possible negative health effects of embedded hooks and the need for more concrete data regarding the survival of fish with embedded hooks.
