Conservation

    Conservation is a very important part when it comes to fish. Many people don't care what really happens but this may happen because they're not well educated. With education people may change their minds and try to start to conserve the fish.

    All types of fish are extremely important in the food chain and should be handled with care. You may be wondering why releasing your catch is so important. Here are some reasons:

1.  A fish is too valuable a resource to be caught only once.

2.  Conservation adds fun to fishing.

3.  Size, weight, and bag limits make release mandatory.

4.  Depleting fish populations need your help to recover

5.  Save the fun of fishing for future generations.

When fishing and you decide to release a fish (the right thing to do) try to follow these guidelines:

1. Decide to release a fish as soon as it is hooked.

2. Try to set the hook so it does not hook the fish's gut.

3. Try to use hooks that rust quickly so if worst comes to worst and you have to cut     the leader the hook will eventually fall out.

4. Keep wire cutters and pliers handy.

When the fish is finally landed it is very important that you:

1. Keep the fish from thrashing. If the fish will not stop, you can place a wet towel over it's eyes to calm it.

2. Remove the hook as gently as possible, using your pliers. If you happen to catch a large shark or any other fish with teeth you may cut the hook or leader with your wire cutters. Smaller sharks can be handled with ease. Do not be afraid to handle one, however take precautions.

3. When the hook is taken out or the leader cut, bring the fish into the water and move the fish gently back and forth in the water. Make sure you support the fish's mid-section and tail. Do this until the fish swims away on its own.

4. There is no greater feeling in the world than seeing a fish swim away on it's own after you caught it. Remember if you release a fish your having fun and preserving the species at the same time.

   People can also get involved in special tagging programs that allow scientists to study the fish species with your help. You can visit their websites on the links page.