Would you release the meter-long pike you just caught? How about a big seatrout? Do you only fish for species that have a steady population and can take the fishing? If you answered yes, you are probably a Responsible Fisherman.
Those are the opening lines in the press release of the newly opened Finnish fishing project “Vastuullinen Vapaa-ajankalastaja” (Responsible Fisherman). The project aims for educating fishermen in fishing etics and good sportsmanship, how to take care of and sustain nature and its resources. When to catch and release and when take a fish for dinner. How to release a fish, and what to think of when choosing your gear to avoid unnecessary harm for the fish. The site is packed with information for various types of fishing (only in Finnish at the moment). The project is based on European Inland Fisherier Advisory Commission’s Code of Practice for Recreational Fisheries (wow!).
We are happy to be co-operating with the Finnish Federation for Recreational Fishing in this project, and our music will be heard on their videos and public appeareances. Our own words on fishing etics and catch and release can be read here.
Happy fishing, and tight lines!
I live in Patagonia. In recent years the Salmon farming industry has flourished and provided economic diversity to a region otherwise dependent on mineral and timber extraction. As with Salmon farms all over the world, many fish escaped their jail like confines and struck out on an instinctive search to find suitable rivers in which to spawn and propagate. They didn’t have to go far and now there are Salmon in almost every river that is connected to the ocean. Initially captive fish, they have had success in their spawning efforts and currently there are self-sustaining populations of Chinook, Coho and Salar (Atlantics) in many rivers.