Sooke coho

[adriaticum]

No actually they are not.
Of course a lot depends on the condition of the fish to start with, age, size, robustness, etc.
Then the amount of time fighting. And under what conditions (water temp, etc etc etc)
Then the handling / release techniques (or lack thereof).
Then predation by seals & sea lions who literally & intentionally hunt for these released fish.

I have been directly involved in numerous studies, both commercial and recreational, studying C&R moralities.
30 % is on the higher end, but easily achievable with less experienced folks.

Regardless, even 15 % is too much.
Kill the first couple and be done with.

Nog

Frankly in this government report the numbers are all over the place.
It also depends on when these studies were done.
This report that's 30 years old, they are still considering barbed hooks.
Naturally the mortality rate is higher with barbed hooks.
We haven't used barbed hooks in at least a couple of decades.

One thing to consider also is difference between river fishing and ocean fishing.
Because the fish in the ocean are still feeding heavily they are probably swallowing hooks pretty deep.
In the river this is not quite the same.
Numbers I remember seeing from years past are mostly river angling.

Even if we agree that overall mortality is 15 percent, or 20, I still don't think we should be killing wild fish.

[adriaticum]

the report agrees with nog for the most part....excerpt: "the mortality rate for coho hooked in the deep mouth was 56% (44.7-66.9)"

these fish were kept in pens away from any seal predation....im starting to wonder if any released fish actually survive

Did you read the report or just find something you like?
On page 11 Discussion and Recommendations it provides you with some recommendations for numbers to use.
10 percent for coho and 15 percent for chinook.

[adriaticum]

Adriaticum is completely clueless on this matter.

You've provided us with such insight into something we already knew.

[wideopenthrottle]

Did you read the report or just find something you like?
On page 11 Discussion and Recommendations it provides you with some recommendations for numbers to use.
10 percent for coho and 15 percent for chinook.

I read the whole thing....due to keeping them in holding pens not actually releasing them (no consideration for predation), discounting fish played but not landed obviously, and small sample size I am shaking my head at how they came up with 10 and 15% for actual mortality...it is quite obviously much higher in many circumstances in the wild...and there were few situations where survival was better than 10 and 15 single round barbless caught in the outer lips and bigger than 30cm long

[IronNoggin]

Frankly in this government report the numbers are all over the place.

Even if we agree that overall mortality is 15 percent, or 20, I still don't think we should be killing wild fish.

Firstly, study parameters vary, conditions vary, experience levels of those doing the work vary.
All make a difference.I have seen river studies that were actually as low as 4.5 %.
I have seen marine studies where mortality surpassed 30 %.
In this area I am well experienced, and understand exactly what I am saying, with backing.
You are grasping. Period.

Secondly, as noted only a small percentage of fish are clipped in Canada.
The likelihood thus is that your catch which bears an intact fin is really NO indication as to whether it is wild or not.
By forcing folks to only retained clipped fish, you also push them towards a great deal more encounters, which cannot help but realize more related mortalities.

This ain't rocket science. Please quit trying to make it so.

Thanks,
Nog

[REMINGTON JIM]

Adriaticum is completely clueless on this matter.

Care to explain how he's completely Clueless ? Thks RJ

[westcoast meds]

where do you get 90% of unclipped Coho are actually hatchery ??????

[adriaticum]

where do you get 90% of unclipped Coho are actually hatchery ??????

I think that depends on the location.
I don't think there is a binding regulation that says that hatchery fish must be clipped and hatcheries, at least the ones I have been involved with, mostly rely on volunteers to clip the fish.
No volunteers, no clipping.
Some hatcheries are pretty good at organizing volunteers (Capilano, Seymour, Chilliwack) while others are not.
It's plausible that in some areas most fish are not clipped.