Resilience of inshore, juvenile snapper Pagrus auratus to angling and release

Abstract

This study assessed the mortality of 157 snapper Pagrus auratus (9-29 cm, total length, L T) after being conventionally angled and then released into cages (along with 48 controls) for 4 days off south-eastern Australia. Fatalities were restricted to 12 angled fish (7·6%) and mostly attributed to the ingestion of hooks and especially their subsequent removal, which caused substantial blood loss and immediate death. Hook ingestion was significantly biased towards smaller fish (<21 cm L T) and attributed to a lower chance of anglers initially detecting these individuals on the line (allowing them to consume more of the baits). While mortalities might be reduced in future via (1) choosing terminal rigs that promote mouth hooking and (2) cutting the line on any-hook ingested fish, the results nevertheless validate releasing unwanted angled inshore juvenile P. auratus as a means for managing their exploitation. © 2012 NSW DPT. Journal of Fish Biology © 2012 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.