Careful Catch and Release Guidelines for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species

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Careful Catch and Release Guidelines
for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species


NOAA Fisheries Service has developed a brochure that provides guidelines on how to increase the survival of hook-and-line caught, large pelagic species.

The objectives of careful catch and release include reducing stress and minimizing injury to a fish caught on hook-and-line, and assisting in its recovery prior to release. These objectives are especially challenging for large highly migratory species such as tuna, swordfish, and sharks, because of the size and potentially dangerous features (e.g., teeth and swords) of these species. The brochure provides guidelines for careful catch and release in four topic areas: planning ahead, gear, play and handling, and release and revival.

The information in this brochure will assist anglers in following NOAA Fisheries regulations, which require that any Atlantic highly migratory species that is caught and released, be released in a manner that maximizes its probability of survival. The survival of a released fish today will help lead to healthy stocks for future harvest.

pdf below