Is angling cruel?

[Andyvon]

Here's a thorny one.

We've been having a debate about whether fish suffer when they are caught on a hook and line. Some people say they can't feel the hook, but others like me think they must do. They also have a lateral line organ along their body which is incredibly sensitive to water pressure. Surely a fish feels that when it is being handled.

There is also the fact that the fish doesn't know that it will be released afterwards ( if the angler so chooses). Surely then the fish experiences terror as it is fighting for its life. In fact, the more it fights, the better the catch is regarded.

[B00]

Agreed- I've always thought fishing (for fun) to be unnecessarily cruel, and to be honest downright ruddy pointless!

Mind you, I'm unbelievably soft, I couldn't bring myself to hook the maggots/worms etc.....and I dont even like em!

[Lonnie]

I've never Fished, on principle, I think its okay if you going to eat them, but just for sport, no,

Angling is quite big where I work, and I was invited to judge a cometition, never again, to see the fish struggling, nettedm weighed, then thrown back, to go through it all again, terrible,

Then theirs the occasional 'foul hooked' fish, they say that the fish doesn't feel pain when hooked in the lip, thats possible, but 'foul hooked', is when a hook is embedded in its side, it bleeds, and is obviously in pain.

its not a sport, sport is when the opponents are evenly matched, I'm all for banning it, but it'll never happen.

[Lonnie]

Having said all the above, Anglers do do quite a bit of good, helping to keep the waterways clean etc.

[Andyvon]

I think I am too soft as well Boo. I have always felt for the fish. I think they must experience real fear and I don't really understand people who just shrug and say it's only a fish.

With regards to the 'foul hooked'. I was put off fishing permanently when I went with my neighbour for the day and he landed a fish that had completely swallowed the hook. The line just disappeared down the fish's throat. My neighbour then just cut the line at the fish's mouth and threw it back.

[maggie01]

I am with Boo. I know even the worms are not pretty to look at but don't know how anyone can push them onto a hook. I won't even go out with my husband if I know he is going to fish. How many times is the fish caught and thrown back. Surely at some stage it must just give up.

[luna-tic]

Only people who fish are going to say,"Oh it doesn't hurt when the hook goes through their flesh".
Yeah Right ! Try getting a hook the size of your index finger and push it through the cheek or lip of your own face.
Does that hurt?

[robotics]

I often go crab fishing, but never caught one, anyway i did catch a fish, and if you had seen me you would of thought I'd gone mad, poor little fishy,

and I'm sure it was squeaking at me when I tryed to get the hook of, I felt really bad.

I think fishing is now cruel and boring