Local fishing enthusiasts embrace the ‘catch-and-release’ practice during organised competitions.

Local recreational sport fishing enthusiasts have been lauded for adopting conservationist practices by a University of Malta research group studying the impact of the activity on marine life.

Conducted in collaboration with the National Federation of Sports Anglers, the study commended local fishing enthusiasts for embracing the so-called ‘catch-and-release’ practice. Using catch-and-release, all fish caught during competitions are kept alive in keepnets and then released once the competition is over.

The research was carried out by Sandra Agius Darmanin with the support of a team of volunteers from the Conservation Bio-logy Research Group from the University of Malta as part of doctoral study under the supervision of conservation biologist Adriana Vella.

Its objective was to investigate the effect of recreational fishing activities on coastal fish species biology and also to make recommendations to mitigate their impact.

It emerged that the use of keepnets by anglers during competitions had also in-creased due to stricter enforcement by club committees as well as the decision to spread the activities to different venues, as this allowed better use of the nets.

The close collaboration with the anglers’ federation also resulted in the implementation of a set of measures to reduce the catch of undersized juvenile fish and mortality rates. The effectiveness of the measures is being monitored, the report says.

Meanwhile, the preliminary findings of the study have already been presented in conferences held abroad, including the Congress by the Mediterranean Science Commission and the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.

C&R in angling

■ The UK’s Angling Trust defines catch and release as a mechanism through which a caught fish is later released unharmed, with the intention being that its life continues in its natural environment.

The fish may be released from the hook without being handled or ever removed from the water, or it may be temporarily removed to facilitate unhooking.

It may also be temporarily transferred to a live tank or a keepnet before being re-turned alive to its natural environment.