How to be a more sustainable angler

By Robert Thornton

‘Sustainable’ is a word we hear a lot these days, and in a world rife with over consumption, environmental degradation and ecological mismanagement, it’s not hard to see why. Unfortunately, fishing activities are often at the centre of these discussions in a negative way, but that doesn’t mean fishing is innately unsustainable. In fact, sustainable fishing practises have been around for hundreds if not thousands of years, and right now, there’s no better time to start thinking about how you can make your own fishing more sustainable.

In this blog, we’ll look at the pressures our fishing can put on the environment, and what we can do to mitigate this harm. We’ll also look at ways we, as anglers, can give back to the natural world that we rely on to enjoy our fishing.

AN (UN)SUSTAINABLE PAST

Environmentally conscious fishing may seem like a new thing, but in reality, there are societies that have been practising sustainable fishing for millennia. For any group of people that relies on healthy fish stocks for their own survival, it just makes sense to have measures in place to ensure there are always fish there.

Things started to change as populations grew, with advents like mechanised farming, commercial fishing and urbanisation starting to cause noticeable damage as early as several hundred years ago.

In Australia, the most damage was done in the 19th and 20th centuries, and even though our society is a lot more conscious with our fishing these days, (both recreationally and commercially), we’re still paying the price for mistakes made in the past. In addition, there are sadly still operations and individuals who take more fish than they need and cause environmental damage in other ways.

Discussions around sustainability started to re-emerge in the 1970s, and you may be surprised to know that recreational anglers and have always been there advocating for environmental action. Thanks to these earlier efforts, anglers today, by-and-large, share a common vested interest to ensure there’s fish there for future generations. 

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Fishing sustainably means more than just sticking to bag limits and picking up rubbish. It goes beyond what we as individuals do, as it’s clear that the social and environmental responsibility rests equally (and possibly more so) on large companies and governments. In fact, it can sometimes feel like our individual efforts barely make a dent, but I always remind myself that movements are made up of individual people like you and I, and anglers can actually be the torchbearers for change.

Let’s now look at some ways we can be more sustainable anglers!

Take only what you need

One of the biggest problems of yesteryear was that we took more fish than we needed, both as groups and individuals. It’s hard to imagine that only a few generations ago there were very few, if any, bag and size limits.

As recently as a few decades ago, well-meaning anglers often took home as many fish as they could carry, giving away the surplus to friends, family and neighbours. We shouldn’t judge these anglers, as some of them lived through cataclysmic events like the Great Depression and the World Wars where food security was a major issue. Back then, a few fish from a neighbour or friend could be the difference between eating and going hungry. Similarly, commercial fishermen (they were almost exclusively men in those days) often loaded their boats to the absolute limit in the hopes of making some extra cash.

With living conditions substantially better these days, and sustainably-caught fish readily available from the shops, taking home more fish than you can eat just isn’t necessary anymore. 

Bag and size limits can sometimes be frustrating, but it pays to remind yourself that they are there for a reason, are usually based on current research, and definitely contribute to an overall net positive for our fisheries.

If you like to keep a few fish for the table, make sure you check out Daiwa’s Small and Large Fish Measure Mats. These mats protect the fish’s slime when wet, so if your fish is undersize, it can be released without damage to grow bigger!

It’s also important we’re getting most out of our catch when we take it home, and this means taking care of the meat by humanely killing, bleeding and getting the fish on ice as quickly as possible. The Insulated Fish Bag from Daiwa is a great for keeping fish, whether you’re land-based or several kilometres offshore in a boat!

Take your rubbish, leave only footprints

This may seem like a basic one, but it’s amazing how often I see piles of rubbish left down at the water’s edge. Leaving rubbish by the water has two detrimental effects: firstly, and most obviously, it pollutes the environment; secondly, it can prompt authorities to close off the area.

On the first point, it’s not hard to understand how waste material – particularly plastic – can end up in the water and start causing trouble immediately. Aquatic animals can often become entangled in plastic or mistake it for food and end up ingesting it. On land, plastic waste can cause similar harm to birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Even after many years, plastic can continue haunting the environment as it starts to break down into smaller pieces of plastics, often referred to as ‘micro plastics’.

On the second point, being locked out of areas because of the behaviour of a few individuals is an incredibly disappointing experience that I’ve had to endure before. It particularly hurts those who consistently do the right thing.

I stick to the formula of taking any rubbish back out with me, leaving behind only my fading footprints. At times I’ve had to pick up rubbish left by other people, and I know other anglers who do the same. It’s frustrating to have to go out of your way to clean up after someone else, but it’s even more frustrating to know that it could well get you kicked out of that spot if left there, or worse, end up harming precious wildlife.

Keep your eyes open

Fisheries compliance officers can’t be everywhere at once, and it’s a sad reality that a minority of anglers will do the wrong thing. With this on mind, it’s important that we are conscious of not only our own actions, but the actions of others nearby as well.

If you witness someone breaking the law or suspect they might be, sometimes it’s just be a matter of gently reminding them, as they may not even be aware they are breaking the law. If you don’t wish to confront the person or group for your own safety, you can always alert the fisheries, and these days most state fisheries have a hotline for reporting illegal activities.

If you come across illegal fishing apparatus like gillnets or non-regulation traps, it’s important that you alert fisheries straight away, and then ask them whether they would like you to remove it from the water or not. Sometimes they will ask you not to interfere so they can send people down to do a proper report. While this can be frustrating, it’s important we don’t do anything that may obstruct their investigative activities.

Join a community, start a discussion

While grassroots organisations have waned in recent decades, we’re starting to see a rebound as people look for alternatives to social media. One of the best ways to push for sustainable angling is to join a local group, whether it’s a creek catchment group, an environmental action group, a fishing club or a political party branch.

Everyday people like you and I can advocate for action on a local level in these spaces. Remember, change often starts with an individual or group of people raising an issue that’s important to them. It’s hard to believe, but some of the biggest reforms to angling regulations in our states have started with a few anglers sitting around a table having a discussion!

DO YOUR BIT

As anglers, I firmly believe we have a moral obligation to do what we can to give back to the environment that we rely on for our angling activities. The items mentioned above are just some of the ways you can do your bit.

When we normalise these sorts of behaviours in our angling communities, we start seeing the benefits almost immediately. As an example, attitudes started to change in the ‘80s and ‘90s, which saw more people practising catch and release. As a result, many places experienced a rebound in fish stocks!

On a more local level, anglers were at the forefront of the push for a Net Free Zone in the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton around a decade ago. These days, the Fitzroy offers world-class angling for barramundi and threadfin salmon, and a majority of these fish are released.

Daiwa Australia certainly tries to do their bit, with its Line Recycling Project and Daiwa Young Fishing Club just two examples of initiatives encouraging sustainable fishing. 

So please, help to ensure our fisheries have a future by doing your bit in whatever capacity you can, and be part of a more sustainable future!